Former Legal Counsel to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Kow Abaka Essuman, has demanded the payment of his outstanding salary arrears and terminal benefits from the Ministry of Finance.
Lawyers for Mr Essuman, Vint & Aletheia Attorneys & Consultants, have given the Ministry until Friday, September 11, 2026, to pay the outstanding amounts, warning that they will commence legal proceedings against the State if the demand is not met.
In a letter dated September 8, 2026, and addressed to the Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the lawyers said Mr Essuman was appointed Legal Counsel to the President by a letter dated June 15, 2021, to serve from January 8, 2021, to January 7, 2025.
They said he was subsequently appointed Acting Secretary to the President on October 3, 2024, in addition to his duties as Legal Counsel, and remained in office until the expiration of the Akufo-Addo administration on January 7, 2025.
According to the lawyers, the terms of Mr Essuman’s appointment entitled him to four months’ consolidated salary for every completed year of service or part thereof, an installation grant equivalent to one month’s salary, and a resettlement grant equivalent to one month’s salary for each year or fraction thereof served.
They argued that Mr Essuman consequently became entitled to his salary arrears and terminal benefits at the end of his tenure.
The lawyers further cited Section 2(c)(ii) of the Presidential (Transition) Act, 2012 (Act 845), and said that despite the completion of the transition process and the passage of more than 20 months since Parliament determined the salaries, allowances, facilities, privileges and retiring benefits or awards due to holders of offices specified in Article 71 of the Constitution, their client remained unpaid.
They claimed that the Speaker and Members of Parliament, former Ministers and Deputy Ministers, MMDCEs, as well as the Chairman and Members of the Council of State who served during the relevant period had received their respective salary arrears and terminal benefits.
The lawyers said Mr Essuman and other former Presidential Staffers who served at the Office of the President under the previous administration, however, remained unpaid.
They described the continued withholding of their client’s entitlement, despite other persons who served in comparable public offices receiving their benefits, as “arbitrary, discriminatory, unfair and unlawful.”
The lawyers said several representations had been made to secure an administrative resolution to the matter and bring it to the attention of the relevant authorities, but the issue remained unresolved despite the passage of considerable time.
They have therefore demanded that the Ministry of Finance immediately process and pay Mr Essuman’s full outstanding salary arrears and terminal benefits, together with interest on the outstanding amount from January 7, 2025, until the date of full payment at the prevailing commercial bank rate.
The lawyers further demanded that the outstanding amount and accrued interest be paid in full by Friday, September 11, 2026.
They said Mr Essuman remained willing to resolve the matter without recourse to litigation but warned that failure to meet the deadline would trigger legal action.
“If the outstanding entitlement is not paid by Friday, 11th September 2026, we have our Client’s firm instructions to commence proceedings against the State to recover the outstanding principal amount, interest, and costs,” the lawyers said.