Kow Essuman accuses Finance Minister, AG of ignoring letters over unpaid entitlements

Former legal counsel to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Kow Essuman, has criticised the Attorney-General and Finance Minister for failing to respond to his demands for payment of outstanding salary arrears and end-of-service benefits.

Mr Essuman’s lawyers, Vint & Aletheia, had written to Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson demanding payment of his outstanding salary arrears and terminal benefits by Friday, September 11, 2026, or face legal action.

The letter said his entitlements included 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 lawyers described the continued withholding of the benefits as “arbitrary, discriminatory, unfair and unlawful”, arguing that other public officeholders had received their entitlements.

In an interview with JoyNews’ Gemma Appiah, Mr Essuman said he had sent a formal notice to the Attorney-General and copied the Finance Ministry, but neither office had responded.

“So, have I sent a notice to the Attorney-General? Yes. I've sent a notice to the Attorney-General. And I copied the Finance Ministry. Of course, none of them responded,” he said.

Mr Essuman described the failure to respond to his correspondence as unfair, arguing that the matter should not have required repeated demands from a former senior official of the Presidency.

“The attitude of the Finance Minister and the Attorney-General of not responding, not paying any heed to a former government official who has written regarding salary arrears and terminal benefits is something that we really as a country need to look at,” he said.

He added that his previous roles in the Presidency made the situation particularly disappointing.

“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.

Mr Essuman said he was prepared to pursue the matter in court, adding that his lawyers had already prepared the writ and statement of claim.

However, he said a strike by the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) had delayed the filing of the case.

“We have prepared the writ, we have the statement of claim. But JUSAG went on strike. So we haven't been able to file,” he said.

Asked whether he was ready to proceed with legal action, he responded: “Oh, we're ready. I'm ready because this is contractual. And you see, I hope that we can resolve it before then.”

Mr Essuman says he is ready to proceed with the suit following the end of the JUSAG strike.

The Finance Ministry and Attorney-General’s Office have not yet responded to the claims.