Founder and leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Akwasi Addai Odike, has called for holistic reforms to bridge income disparities between top government officials and other employees in the country.
He cited Article 71 office holders in particular, saying they take huge salaries and allowances at the expense of state coffers. He has urged the President to change the status quo to help reduce the gap.
According to him, the President mentioned during his campaign that he would alter the constitution’s stance on benefits for holders of such offices.
Odike says the President should work on this to help reduce the income gap. He was commenting on the President’s directive to halt fuel allowances and allocations for all political appointees, effective Tuesday, July 15, 2025.
He wants the President to do more than merely scraping fuel allocations. “When you look at the hefty allowances, salaries, and wages prescribed by the constitution for Article 71 holders, much of the state’s funds go to politicians. Citizens don’t benefit,” he said on Onua FM’s morning show, Yen Nsempa, on Tuesday, July 15, 2025.
He added that: “As we speak, the Bank of Ghana Governor takes over GHC300,000 a month – plus fuel, police, mansion, and wardrobe allowances. This is just to deceive the masses. The President spoke about Article 71 office holders during his campaign, and we need serious reforms on Article 71.”
“Doing this doesn’t mean he’s done enough to leave the rest. No, we need holistic reforms to bridge the gap in wage disparities,” he reiterated whilst speaking in Twi.
Article 71 office holders in Ghana are high-ranking public officials whose salaries, allowances, and privileges are determined by the President, acting on advice from a committee appointed by the President and the Council of State.
These include the President, Vice-President, Speaker and Deputy Speakers of Parliament, Members of Parliament, Chief Justice and other Superior Court Justices, Auditor-General, Electoral Commission Chair and Deputies, Human Rights and Administrative Justice Commissioner and Deputies, District Assemblies Common Fund Administrator, and heads and members of various national commissions.
