Kow Abaka Essuman

Also known as: Mr Essuman · Former Presidential Legal Adviser Kow Essuman · Francis Essuman

Former Legal Counsel to President Akufo-Addo, currently demanding unpaid salary arrears from the Finance Ministry since his tenure ended in January 2025.

2026-05-202026-09-13

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

June 2026
11 JunJoy Online
Government Communications Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu has strongly criticised former presidential legal adviser Kow Essuman over claims that the budget for presidential staff under the current administration has ballooned despite a reduction in staff numbers. …
Kwakye Ofosu accuses Kow Essuman of ‘lies and mischief’ over presidency budget claims
11 JunJoy Online
Former Legal Counsel to former President Nana Akufo-Addo, Kow Essuman, has accused the Mahama administration of unfairly withholding salary arrears and benefits due former presidential staffers and political appointees. …
Kow Essuman accuses Mahama gov’t of discriminatory treatment over staff salary arrears
11 JunJoy Online
Former Legal Counsel to former President Nana Akufo-Addo, Kow Essuman, has accused the Mahama administration of breaching the law by allegedly failing to submit the annual staffing report for the Office of the President covering the 2024 calendar year. …
Mahama gov’t breached law by failing to submit 2024 staffing report – Kow Essuman
11 JunJoy Online
Former Legal Counsel to former President Nana Akufo-Addo, Kow Essuman, has challenged claims regarding staffing levels at the Presidency, insisting that official records do not support suggestions that the previous administration maintained a larger workforce than the current gov …
Kow Essuman challenges Presidency’s narrative on staff numbers, demands disclosure of records
May 2026
20 MayJoy Online
Kow Abaka Essuman, former Legal Advisor to former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has pushed back strongly against claims by the Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Justice Srem Sai, that funds involved in the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) “S …
Money can be traced in GIIF ‘Sky Train’ case – Kow Essuman fires back at Deputy AG

Agriculture & Land

GROW2 project reaches 52,000 women farmers across three regions

The News

The GROW2 project, funded by the Canadian government and implemented by Mennonite Economic Development Associates, has exceeded its targets by reaching 52,000 women smallholder farmers, 5,000 micro-entrepreneurs and 61 small and medium-sized enterprises across 27 districts in the Northern, Savannah and Upper West regions, surpassing its initial goal of 40,000 women farmers, 5,000 micro-entrepreneurs and 50 agribusinesses.

10 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Thursday 10 September

GROW2 project reaches 52,000 women farmers across three regions
The GROW2 project, funded by the Canadian government and implemented by Mennonite Economic Development Associates, has exceeded its targets by reaching 52,000 women smallholder farmers, 5,000 micro-entrepreneurs and 61 small and medium-sized enterprises across 27 districts in the Northern, Savannah and Upper West regions, surpassing its initial goal of 40,000 women farmers, 5,000 micro-entrepreneurs and 50 agribusinesses.
10 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Akufo-Addo's ex-lawyer demands overdue salary from Finance Ministry
Former Legal Counsel to President Akufo-Addo, Kow Abaka Essuman, has given the Finance Ministry until September 11, 2026, to pay outstanding salary arrears and terminal benefits or face legal action, claiming he has waited more than 20 months for his entitlements.
10 September 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
Former Presidential Counsel demands unpaid salary from Finance Ministry
Kow Essuman, former Legal Counsel to President Akufo-Addo, has demanded that the Ministry of Finance settle unpaid salary arrears and end-of-service benefits by September 11, 2026, or face legal action. His lawyers claim he is owed four months' consolidated salary for each completed year of service, a one-month installation grant, and a resettlement grant equivalent to one month's salary per year served, plus interest from January 7, 2025.
10 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Kow Essuman demands terminal benefits from Finance Minister
Lawyers for former Legal Counsel to the President Kow Abaka Essuman have formally demanded payment of his outstanding salary arrears and terminal benefits following the end of his tenure in January 2025. The lawyers cite the Presidential (Transition) Act, 2012, which requires the Transition Team to pay retiring benefits to specified public office holders without undue delay.
10 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Friday 24 July

Kow Essuman criticises Finance Minister over unpaid Presidency staff arrears
Former Legal Adviser to ex-President Akufo-Addo, Kow Essuman, has criticised Finance Minister Ato Forson for failing to pay outstanding arrears and entitlements owed to Presidency staff who served under the previous administration, despite presenting four budgets since payments fell due in January 2025. Essuman argues the situation is unfair given that current Presidency staff have been paid while former public servants await their benefits.
24 July 2026 · Joy Online →

Monday 20 July

NPP Ablekuma West chairman urges members to attend Electoral Affairs hearing
The Chairman of the Martin de Porres Polling Station in Ablekuma West has urged NPP members and stakeholders to participate in an Electoral Affairs Committee hearing into alleged irregularities in the party's internal constituency elections. While some concerns have been addressed, including the restoration of his name to the electoral register, he said many other irregularities remain unresolved and should be examined by the committee.
20 July 2026 · Joy Online →

Tuesday 16 June

Mahama administration paying current staff while denying Akufo-Addo officials arrears
Former Presidential Legal Adviser Kow Essuman has criticised the current administration for selectively paying salaries and allowances under the Article 71 remuneration structure approved in January 2025, while officials and staff who served under Akufo-Addo remain unpaid their entitled arrears. He characterised the situation as deliberate and discriminatory, describing it as an abuse of office.
16 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Kow Essuman challenges claims on presidential salary origins
Former Legal Adviser Kow Essuman has accused Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu of misleading the public about the origins of the presidential salary structure, arguing that Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution requires Parliament, not the President, to determine salaries for the President and his staff.
16 June 2026 · Joy Online →

Thursday 11 June

Former adviser demands Mahama government publish 2024 staffing report
Former Presidential Legal Adviser Kow Essuman has challenged the Mahama administration to publish the Presidency's 2024 staffing report, arguing that government silence raises transparency concerns and that Ghanaians are entitled to know whether the obligation to submit the report was fulfilled.
11 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Minister denies discrimination in presidential staff salary arrears payments
Government Communications Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu has rejected claims that the administration is selectively paying salary arrears to Presidential staff, stating that such payments are a routine feature of transitions between administrations and that the current salary structure was approved by Parliament in January 2025.
11 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Minister denies presidency budget ballooned under current administration
Government Communications Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu has strongly criticised former presidential legal adviser Kow Essuman's claims that the presidency's budget for staff has increased despite a reduction in staff numbers, saying the allegations are inconsistent with facts and that the current administration operates under salary structures approved by Parliament and inherited from the previous government.
11 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Former presidential counsel accuses Mahama govt of withheld salary arrears
Kow Essuman, former Legal Counsel to ex-President Akufo-Addo, has accused the Mahama administration of unfairly withholding salary arrears and benefits due to former presidential staffers and political appointees, arguing that salary adjustments approved before the change of government have not been paid while current officials have received theirs under the same structure.
11 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Akufo-Addo's ex-lawyer says Mahama govt failed to submit staffing report
Kow Essuman, former Legal Counsel to President Nana Akufo-Addo, has accused the Mahama administration of breaching the law by failing to submit the annual staffing report for the Office of the President covering 2024, which was required by law to be submitted to Parliament by March 2025. Essuman noted that such reports were consistently submitted during the Akufo-Addo administration and called for the government to either release the report or confirm non-submission.
11 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Kow Essuman challenges Presidency staff-size claims with official records
Former Legal Counsel Kow Essuman contested claims that the Akufo-Addo administration had larger Presidency staffing than the current government, stating that the 2023 report showed 1,048 total staff (357 political appointees and 564 civil and public service employees) and the 2024 report recorded 921 staff. He argued that civil and public service employees should not be counted as political appointments when comparing administrations.
11 June 2026 · Joy Online →

Wednesday 20 May

Funds traceable in GIIF Sky Train case, legal advisor argues
Kow Essuman, former Legal Advisor to President Akufo-Addo, disputes the Deputy Attorney-General's assertion that funds in the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund "Sky Train" case cannot be located, stating that audited financial statements, board minutes, and supporting records clearly document how the money was handled within GIIF.
20 May 2026 · Joy Online →