Pressure group Ghana Youth Movement has petitioned the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice to investigate the use of state funds to renovate the private residence of mother of former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings.
The house was renovated by government and furnished to accommodate the former First Lady whilst they wait for the state to properly accommodate the former First Family after their Ridge residence was burnt down early this year.
The group says it was not only illegal but also unacceptable for the government to spend state funds on the private residence of the former First Lady.
Spokesperson for the group, Kwabena Tandoh, tells Joy News CHRAJ must look into the matter.
He said, “CHRAJ should find out who gave that authorization for state funds to be used to renovate a private residence.”
Mr Ernest Kofi Abotsi, a law lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, commenting on the issue, said there is a constitutional framework within which former presidents are settled and that if the renovation of Mrs Rawlings’ mother’s residence was done outside that framework, then explanations must be sought and a justification given.
Mr Abotsi said arguments that Mrs Fulera Limann, also a former First Lady should be settled first are far fetched.
According to him, the 1992 Constitution does not contemplate the settlement of the spouses of former presidents.
“I really do sympathise with the experience of the Limann family because I think (that) might not have been well taken care of before the inception of the [1992] Constitution but this Constitution makes provisions for appointees under [it only].
“Even though we might make particular provisions for presidents who might have been presidents before the inception of the [1992] Constitution, it is useful that we do not mingle things because the Constitution is concerned about its own appointees,” he said.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
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