Government says contrary to speculations by some media houses that officials of the previous NDC administration had received ex gratia, the president John Mahama, ministers and their deputies, are yet to be paid their end of service benefits. A statement from the Information and Media Relations Ministry said: “His Excellency the President and all Ministers and Deputy Ministers of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who served in various ministerial and deputy ministerial positions, including presidential staffers, from 7th January 2009 to 7th January 2013 have not been paid their ex gratia for that period”. “The payment of ex gratia, so far, only applies to members of the legislature”. The statement described as untrue, “the allegation that members of the political elite have paid themselves lump sum ex gratia awards and yet are asking other public servants to accept installment payments for arrears of their 2012 allowances”. “Ministers and Deputy Ministers may only receive their ex gratia when the concerns of other non article 71 office holders’ have been equally attended to,” it said.