Former Legal Counsel to Akufo-Addo gives Finance Ministry 72 hours to pay arrears, threatens court action
Lawyers for Mr. Kow Abaka Essuman, former Legal Counsel to the President under the Akufo-Addo administration, have given the Ministry of Finance up to Friday, September 11, 2026, to pay his salary arrears and terminal benefits or face legal action.
The ultimatum is contained in a demand letter dated September 8, 2026, and received by the Ministry on September 9, 2026, written by law firm VINT & Aletheia to the Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
Appointment and Entitlements
According to the letter, Mr. Essuman was appointed Legal Counsel to the President from 8th January 2021 to 7th January 2025, and later additionally appointed as Acting Secretary to the President from 3rd October 2024.
Per his appointment terms, he was entitled to:
a) Four months’ consolidated salary for every completed year of service,
b) Installation Grant of one month’s salary,
c) Resettlement Grant of one month’s salary for each year served.
Discrimination Claim
The lawyers cite 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 for Article 71 office holders are paid without undue delay.
They argue that the Transition Team has long completed its work and it has been over 20 months since Parliament determined Article 71 benefits, yet their client remains unpaid.
The letter claims the Speaker and Members of Parliament, including Dr. Ato Forson himself, former Ministers, Deputy Ministers, MMDCEs, and Chairman and Members of the Council of State who served during the same period have all received their salary arrears and terminal benefits, while Mr. Essuman and other former Presidential Staffers at Jubilee House remain unpaid.
“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,” the letter stated.
Friday Deadline and Interest
The lawyers say Mr. Essuman has on several occasions publicly expressed concern about the non-payment in a bid to secure an administrative resolution, without success.
They are therefore demanding that the Ministry of Finance immediately process and pay the full outstanding salary arrears and terminal benefits, plus interest on the amount from 7th January 2025 till date of full payment, at the prevailing commercial bank rate.
“Furthermore, we demand that the outstanding amount and interest be paid in full on or before Friday, 11th September 2026.
Our client remains willing to resolve this matter without recourse to litigation. However, 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, without further recourse to the Ministry.”
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