It’s a matter of policy – Sophia Akuffo on payment of ex gratia to Council of State members

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My primary focus as Council of State Member is to call for a constitutional review – Sophia Akuffo

Former Chief Justice and member of the ninth Council of State, Sophia Akuffo has said payment of ex gratia to members on the Council of State is only a matter of policy determined through a recommendation of a committee set up by the President.

She explained that since members of the Council of State are categorized under Article 71 office holders, their post-service emoluments are generated by the recommendation of the emoluments committee established by the President.

According to the former Chief Justice, Council of State members also fall under article 71 office holders, hence their post-service emoluments cannot be ignored in the recommendations made by the committee set up by the President to oversee the emoluments of that category of people.

Her comment was in response to calls by a section of the public that Council of State members do not deserve to be given an ex-gratia, especially when the Council itself has outlived its usefulness.

Speaking with Keminni Amanor on Hot Issues on TV3 Sunday, February 23, 2025, the former Chief Justice said “this matter of ex-gratia is one of a policy and I have not actually dealt into the rationale of the current policy.”

She explained further: “Sometimes we just get into certain practices and we just do it. Because the Council of State also comes under the Article 71 office holders, that group of people, it’s really the recommendations which get made by the committee that the President sets up under the Article. That is what has generated all of these.”

She referenced her days while serving as a Judge, stating that she was not expecting any ex-gratia after her service. However, she only got to know that a recommendation had been made to be given to her after her service.

“For example, throughout the time I was actively on the bench for 24 years, no one was expecting ex-gratia, anything. All you know was at the end of your service, there was a certain recommendation that had been made,” she stated.