Former legal counsel to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Kow Essuman, has indicated his readiness to sue the government if it fails to pay his outstanding salary arrears and terminal benefits.
Mr Essuman says he is still hopeful of an amicable settlement but may resort to litigation after repeated attempts to secure payment through official correspondence have reportedly gone unanswered.
The dispute follows a demand letter from his lawyers, Vint & Aletheia, to Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, seeking payment of the outstanding entitlements by Friday, September 11, 2026.
The lawyers warned that failure to meet the deadline could trigger legal action against the government.
According to the letter, the claims include four months’ consolidated salary for every completed year of service, 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 legal team has described the non-payment as “arbitrary, discriminatory, unfair and unlawful”, arguing that other public officeholders have received their terminal benefits.
Speaking in an interview with JoyNews’ Gemma Appiah, Mr Essuman said the matter was contractual and should not require repeated demands before the government honours its obligations.
“I’m ready because this is contractual. I hope that we can resolve it before then. Honestly, but the attitude of the Finance Minister and the Attorney-General of not responding, not paying any heed to a former government official who’s written regarding salary arrears and terminal benefits is something that we really as a country need to look at,” he said.
He expressed disappointment that a former official who served as legal counsel to the President and subsequently as acting Secretary to the President had to write repeatedly to demand payments he believes are due to him.
Mr Essuman maintained that the matter was one of principle and fairness, insisting that the government should address the claims without forcing him to resort to court proceedings.
“It’s quite unfortunate. It shouldn’t get to this. It shouldn’t get to it. And I was not just a government official – I was legal counsel to the President and subsequently acting Secretary to the President. You know, that’s not how this country should act. It shouldn’t be me that should be writing to a Finance Minister to demand this. It’s completely on principle and unfair,” he said.
Although he has expressed a preference for an out-of-court resolution, Mr Essuman says he is prepared to pursue the matter through the legal system if the government fails to respond to his demands.
