Freetown — State House Friday stated that President Ernest Bai Koroma was not aware about any supposed salary increase under the state salaries, pensions, gratuities and other benefits Act.

The statement came after media reports claimed that President Koroma was planning to increase his salary from Le 4.5 million to Le 25 million per month, paving the way for a 500% increment.

A release from State House stated that the President was unaware of such an increase and was never consulted on such, adding that he was not interested in any salary increase.

"The President wants to make it categorically clear that his interest is in the welfare of the people of Sierra Leone and not in an increment in salary and that this office has only now seen a copy of the Act in question," the release stated.

The statement stated that the purpose of recalling Parliament to an extraordinary session was to pass a law relating to the fight against corruption and other malpractices, especially regarding the current cocaine saga and suspects apprehended.

"The said Act on which the supposed increase is based is called the State Salaries, Pensions, Gratuities And Other Benefits Act 2003 (Act No. 4 of 2003), meaning that it was an Act piloted before this government came into power and that a provision in the said Act making it to be deemed to have come into operation in 1996 reinforces the preceding point." The office of the President would like to reiterate President Koroma's determination to lift this country and her people from the doldrums to an enviable position.