A leading member of the Movement for Change, Solomon Owusu, has raised concerns over President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to donate six months of his salary to the Mahama Cares medical fund.
According to Owusu, the president’s primary source of income is his salary, and donating such a significant portion raises questions about how he intends to sustain himself and his family.
He further questioned whether Mahama plans to rely on other undisclosed sources of income, potentially from the state.
Owusu expressed his skepticism about the donation, arguing that while such gestures may appear commendable, they often conceal ulterior motives.
“The gesture by President Mahama, donating six months of his salary to the Mahama Cares medical fund, is something I don’t want to hear,” Owusu stated in an interview with Onua FM on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
“We are paying the president to work, so how will he feed himself? Is he going to steal from us? The last time we heard such a claim, it was said that Ken Ofori-Atta, a government appointee, did not receive a salary, yet he amassed wealth through his bank, Databank, by securing loans for the country,” he added.
Owusu further questioned the rationale behind Mahama’s donation, arguing that the government pays the president to work, not to give away his earnings.
“The government is paying you to work, so why are you giving away your salary? Your job is to be the president and nothing else, so where will you get money to feed yourself? The last time someone gave you a car, you said you had donated it to the state. If you don’t take bribes or have other sources of income, how will you survive?” he asked.
President John Dramani Mahama pledged six months of his salary to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, also known as the Mahama Cares initiative, during the launch of the fund at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
Announcing the donation, Mahama commended Ghanaians who had already contributed to the fund, emphasizing that, as its founder, he must also play his part in ensuring its success.
“Prof. Ayetey, a retired doctor, has donated $1,000 to the Ghana Medical Trust. That should encourage all of us, especially corporate institutions, to do even more. As the initiator of this laudable program, I must also contribute.
“And so, I’ve pledged six months of my salary to Mahama Cares. I haven’t started receiving a salary yet—they say the Accountant General is still processing it, but once that’s completed, six months of whatever I’m entitled to will go into Mahama Cares,” he stated.
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