Former Legal Counsel to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Kow Abaka Essuman, has demanded the immediate payment of his outstanding salary arrears and terminal benefits from the Ministry of Finance.
In a formal letter dated September 8, 2026, lawyers for Mr Essuman, Vint & Aletheia, gave the Ministry until Friday, September 11, 2026, to settle the outstanding payments or face legal action.
The letter, addressed to the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, and received by the Ministry on September 9, said Mr Essuman had remained unpaid despite the lapse of more than 20 months since Parliament determined the salaries, allowances, facilities, privileges and retiring benefits of Article 71 office holders.
According to the lawyers, Mr Essuman was appointed Legal Counsel to President Akufo-Addo in June 2021, with his appointment taking effect from January 8, 2021, to January 7, 2025.
He was subsequently appointed Acting Secretary to the President in October 2024, in addition to his duties as Legal Counsel.
The lawyers said Mr Essuman served until the expiration of the former President’s tenure on January 7, 2025.
Benefits outlined
The letter cited the terms of his appointment, which entitled him to terminal benefits including 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.
The lawyers argued that Mr Essuman therefore became entitled to his salary arrears and terminal benefits at the end of his tenure.
They further cited Section 2(c)(ii) of the Presidential (Transition) Act, 2012 (Act 845), which mandates the Transition Team to ensure that salaries, allowances and retiring benefits determined by Parliament for Article 71 office holders are paid without undue delay.
‘Arbitrary and discriminatory’
The legal firm said the Transition Team had completed its work, yet its client had still not received his entitlements.
It claimed that the Speaker and Members of Parliament, former Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), as well as members of the Council of State who served during the relevant period, had received their salary arrears and terminal benefits.
However, according to the lawyers, Mr Essuman and other former presidential staff of the previous administration remained unpaid.
The lawyers described the continued withholding of their client’s benefits, despite other comparable public office holders having been paid, as “arbitrary, discriminatory, unfair and unlawful.”
They said Mr Essuman had on several occasions publicly raised concerns about the non-payment of outstanding entitlements owed to former presidential staff, but efforts to secure an administrative resolution had not yielded results.
Interest demanded
The lawyers have consequently demanded that the Ministry of Finance immediately process and pay the full amount owed to Mr Essuman, together with interest on the outstanding amount from January 7, 2025, until the date of full payment at the prevailing commercial bank rate.
They have further warned that should the Ministry fail to pay by September 11, 2026, they have instructions to commence legal proceedings against the State to recover the outstanding principal amount, interest and costs.
The lawyers, however, indicated that their client remains willing to resolve the matter without recourse to litigation if the outstanding obligations are settled within the stipulated period.
