Former Presidential Legal Adviser Kow Essuman has criticised the Mahama administration over what he describes as the selective payment of salaries and allowances under the current Article 71 remuneration structure.

Mr Essuman alleged that while members of the current executive are benefiting from the salary regime approved by Parliament in January 2025, officials and staff who served under former President Akufo-Addo remain unpaid despite being entitled to arrears under the same arrangement.

He contended that the situation raises serious concerns about fairness and the management of public funds.

According to him, parliamentarians, including the current Finance Minister, have already received their arrears and allowances, while former executive officials continue to wait for payments.

“The approval of 6 January 2025 has resulted in President Mahama’s government paying itself under that very structure, while simultaneously refusing and neglecting to pay the arrears lawfully due to the officials and staff who served under President Akufo-Addo,” he wrote.

Mr Essuman described the development as more than a bureaucratic delay, arguing that it reflected a deliberate decision by the government.

“I do not consider this an administrative oversight. It is a deliberate, politically motivated, and discriminatory distribution of public funds, and it is nothing short of an abuse of office,” he stated.