Lawyers for former Legal Counsel to the President, Kow Abaka Essuman, have formally demanded the payment of his outstanding salary arrears and terminal benefits following the end of his tenure in January 2025.
In a letter dated September 8, 2026, and addressed to the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the lawyers said Mr Essuman was appointed Legal Counsel to then-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in January 2021.
They said he was subsequently appointed Acting Secretary to the President in October 2024, in addition to his responsibilities as Legal Counsel, and remained in office until January 7, 2025, when the former President’s tenure ended.
Lawyers cite entitlement to terminal benefits
According to the lawyers, the terms of Mr Essuman’s appointment entitled him to terminal benefits, including “four (4) months’ consolidated salary for every completed year of service or part thereof.”
They said he was also entitled to 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 these benefits, together with outstanding salary arrears, became due to their client immediately upon the expiration of his tenure.
They further cited Section 2(c) of the Presidential (Transition) Act, 2012 (Act 845), which requires the Transition Team to ensure that salaries, allowances and retiring benefits due to specified public office holders are paid “without undue delay.”
Claim of unequal treatment
The lawyers alleged that while the Speaker and Members of Parliament, former Ministers and Deputy Ministers, MMDCEs and members of the Council of State had received their respective arrears and terminal benefits, Mr Essuman and other former Presidential Staffers remained unpaid.
They argued that the continued withholding of their client’s entitlements amounted to unequal treatment.
“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,” the lawyers stated.
They said Mr Essuman had made several representations concerning the outstanding payments but had yet to receive a satisfactory resolution.
Ministry given September 11 deadline
The lawyers are therefore demanding that the Ministry of Finance settle the outstanding principal amount together with interest accruing from January 7, 2025, at the prevailing commercial bank rate.
They have given the Ministry until Friday, September 11, 2026, to pay the full amount, including interest.
The lawyers warned that failure to meet the deadline would compel Mr Essuman to initiate legal proceedings against the State to recover the outstanding benefits, interest and associated costs.
However, they indicated that their client remained willing to resolve the matter without resorting to litigation.
