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Former President Akufo-Addo lawyer gives Finance Ministry ultimatum over unpaid arrears
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Former Legal Counsel to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Kow Abaka Essuman, has given the Ministry of Finance (MoF) up to September 11, 2026, to pay his outstanding salary arrears and terminal benefits or face legal action.
Mr Essuman, through his lawyers, Vint & Aletheia Attorneys & Consultants, said he had waited for more than 20 months for his outstanding entitlements to be paid.
In a letter dated September 8, 2026, addressed to the Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the lawyers demanded the immediate payment of their client’s salary arrears and terminal benefits, together with interest.
The lawyers said Mr Essuman was appointed Legal Counsel to President Akufo-Addo from January 8, 2021, to January 7, 2025.
They added that he was subsequently appointed Acting Secretary to the President in October 2024, in addition to his duties as Legal Counsel.
According to the lawyers, Mr Essuman’s appointment entitled him to four months’ consolidated salary for every completed year of service or part thereof, an installation grant equivalent to one month’s salary, and a resettlement grant equivalent to one month’s salary for each year or fraction of a year served.
The lawyers cited the Presidential (Transition) Act, 2012 (Act 845), which requires salaries, allowances and retiring benefits due to Article 71 officeholders to be paid without undue delay.
They claimed that while other public officials who served during the same period had received their salary arrears and terminal benefits, Mr Essuman and other former Presidential Staffers remained unpaid.
The lawyers described the continued withholding of his client’s entitlements as “arbitrary, discriminatory, unfair and unlawful.”
They said Mr Essuman had made several representations to the relevant authorities in an attempt to resolve the matter administratively, but the issue remained unresolved.
The lawyers are also demanding interest on the outstanding amount from January 7, 2025, until the date of full payment, at the prevailing commercial bank rate.
They have therefore given the Ministry of Finance until Friday, September 11, 2026, to pay the outstanding amount and interest in full.
The lawyers warned that if payment is not made by the deadline, they have instructions from Mr Essuman to commence legal proceedings against the State to recover the outstanding amount, interest and costs.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The 29th Annual Dagaaba-Frafra Friendly Games have once again demonstrated that sports can be a powerful vehicle for cultural preservation, business networking, friendship and peaceful coexistence.
Held at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra last Saturday, the games brought together members of the two ethnic groups from across Ghana and abroad for a colourful celebration under the theme, “Unity in Diversity: The Dagaaba-Frafra Model for Peaceful Co-existence.”
The event, which has evolved from a friendly football match into a major annual gathering, featured football, volleyball, sack races, lime and spoon, tug-of-peace and a penalty shootout for senior citizens.
At the end of the competitions, the Frafra won four events, while the Dagaaba secured victories in five, with the men’s soccer match ending in a draw.
The Frafra triumphed in the men’s lime and spoon, men’s sack race, women’s sack race and women’s soccer, while the Dagaaba won the women’s lime and spoon, men’s volleyball, women’s volleyball, women’s tug-of-peace and the senior citizens’ penalty shootout.
However, the games extended far beyond the sporting arena. The stadium grounds and surrounding spaces became a vibrant marketplace, with patrons enjoying and purchasing a variety of traditional foods, drinks and cultural products.
Local delicacies, including TZ, tubaani, bambara beans, pork, guinea fowl, local fowls, dog meat and kosie, were sold alongside traditional alcoholic beverages. Traditional dresses and other culturally inspired items also attracted buyers, turning the gathering into an important platform for small businesses and vendors to make sales while promoting northern Ghanaian culture.
The cultural exchange continued long after the final sporting contests, as patrons remained at the venue to eat, drink, socialise, dance and party well into the night.
In her remarks, the Guest of Honour, Dr Matilda Aberese-Ako, said the gathering represented much more than competition, describing the Dagaaba-Frafra relationship as a historic bond that had evolved into a modern sporting tradition and an instrument for peace.
MTN Ghana has been the headline sponsor for the games for the past 10 years.
By Gordon Wellu
By Gordon Wellu
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MTN Ghana has undertaken a tree-planting exercise at the Chipa Forest Reserve as part of its commitment to protecting the planet and support the restoration of degraded sections of the forest.
The activity forms part of the company’s 2026 Sustainability Month celebration held under the theme “Small Actions: Big Impact,” and its 30th anniversary celebration.
It was held in partnership with the Forestry Commission (FC) and the Rainforest Alliance with MTN Ghana supporting the restoration of approximately two hectares of degraded forest through the planting of 1,666 trees.
Due to the current dry weather conditions, 833 trees were planted during the exercise, with the remaining 833 to be planted when the rain commences.
The exercise brought together MTN employee volunteers, officials from the Forestry Commission and representatives of the Rainforest Alliance, demonstrating the importance of collaboration in driving environmental sustainability.
Speaking at the event, the Acting General Manager for Sustainability and Shared Value at MTN Ghana, Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, emphasized the critical role trees play in sustaining life and protecting the environment.
“Trees are essential to human survival and healthy ecosystems. They absorb carbon dioxide, release oxygen, regulate temperatures, protect soil, support biodiversity and provide habitats for many species. They also conserve water, reduce erosion and help communities adapt to the effects of climate change,” she said.
The District Manager of the Tema-Ada Forest Services Division of the Forestry Commission, Linda Ansah, welcomed MTN Ghana’s support, describing it as a valuable contribution to efforts aimed at restoring degraded sections of the reserve.
The Country Director of the Rainforest Alliance, Nicholas Jengri, also welcomed the partnership and emphasised the importance of collective action in addressing environmental challenges.
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