Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, has insisted that the number of presidential staffers at the presidency are fewer than 60, alongside fewer than 60 Ministers and Deputy Ministers.
The Abura Asebu-Kwamankese MP disclosed that only 30 presidential staffers are currently working at the Presidency as against the 337 political appointees by the former president Akufo-Addo.
“Mr. Speaker if you come to the Presidential staff, if you take out the civil servants who worked under the Akufo-Addo administration, there were 337 political appointees by President Akufo-Addo.
“As I speak to you, there are 26 presidential staffers and four Directors. If you put together the total number of people who work at the Presidency where I operate from, they will not amount to 60 yet they had 337 political appointees,” he noted.
Speaking during parliamentary debate on the State of Nation Address, he noted that President Mahama had clearly stated his intention to work with only 60 ministers when elected, which motivated the NPP to propose a limit of 50 ministers.
“So President Mahama stated boldly that in the event that when he was elected, he will work with 60 ministers this compelled our colleagues on the other side to immediately promise to work with 50 ministers.”
He gave the assurance that President Mahama remains committed to reducing unnecessary government spending. He emphasized that President Mahama will uphold his pledge to appoint no more than 60 ministers and will not approach the 337 political appointees under former President Akufo-Addo
“If you move from 123/125 ministers to 60 ministers, Mr Speaker, that means that you are going to buy 60 less Land Cruisers. You are going to buy 60 less salon cars. You will need to provide 60 less bungalows. You will need to provide 60 less sets of political aids and research assistants and what have you. Mr Speaker, President Mahama has not limited himself to just reducing the number of ministers. In any event that I speak to you, there are only 56 ministers. And in fact, they are 42 ministers running Ghana as we speak, because deputy ministers have not been approved,” he said.
But also contributing to the debate on the floor was Former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Samuel Abu Jinapor.
He claimed that President Mahama has truly appointed less than 60 Ministers but has packed the Jubilee House with so many staffers.
“Mr. Speaker when you want to see the size of government and its bearing on the national ex-checker, don’t just look at the Ministers and deputy ministers, look at the government size holistically.
“I want to submit that if you look at this government size holistically, the Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Presidential staffers, presidential aides, presidential advisors, President Mahama has formed arguably one of the biggest governments in the history of our government as it relates to the course of our national ex-checker,” he asserted.
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