Akufo-Addo’s Former Legal Counsel Demands Salary Arrears, Terminal Benefits From Finance Ministry
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, giving the Ministry of Finance until Friday, September 11, 2026, to settle the amount or face legal action.
Lawyers for Mr Essuman made the demand in a letter dated September 8, 2026, addressed to the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.
According to the lawyers, Mr Essuman was appointed Legal Counsel to President Akufo-Addo from January 8, 2021, to January 7, 2025. He was subsequently appointed Acting Secretary to the President from October 3, 2024, in addition to his duties as Legal Counsel.
They said the terms of his 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 of a year served.
The lawyers argued that Mr Essuman became entitled to these benefits at the end of his tenure on January 7, 2025, but has remained unpaid for more than 20 months.
They also cited the Presidential (Transition) Act, 2012 (Act 845), which requires the Transition Team to ensure that salaries, allowances, facilities, privileges and retiring benefits due to holders of Article 71 offices are paid without undue delay.
The lawyers said the Transition Team had long completed its work and that Parliament had already determined the applicable benefits.
“Our Client, together with other former Presidential Staffers who served at the Office of the President in the previous administration, remained unpaid,” the lawyers stated.
They further noted that several other public officials who served during the same period, including Members of Parliament, former ministers and deputy ministers, MMDCEs and members of the Council of State, had received their respective salary arrears and terminal benefits.
The lawyers argued that the continued withholding of Mr Essuman’s entitlements, despite the payment of comparable public officials, was unfair and unlawful.
“It is our position that where persons who served in comparable public offices during the same period have received their applicable benefits, the continued withholding of our Client’s entitlement is arbitrary, discriminatory, unfair and unlawful,” they stated.
The lawyers said Mr Essuman had on several occasions publicly raised concerns about the non-payment of outstanding entitlements owed to former Presidential Staffers, but the matter remained unresolved despite efforts to secure an administrative settlement.
They are therefore demanding that the Ministry of Finance immediately process and pay the full amount of Mr Essuman’s 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 have given the Ministry until Friday, September 11, 2026, to make the payment.
“Our Client remains willing to resolve this matter without recourse to litigation,” they stated.
However, they warned that failure to settle the outstanding amount by the deadline would result in legal proceedings against the State to recover the principal amount, interest and costs.
“If the outstanding entitlement is not paid by Friday, 11 September 2026, we have our Client’s firm instructions to commence proceedings against the State to recover the outstanding principal amount, interest, and costs, without further recourse to the Ministry,” the lawyers cautioned.
