Member of Parliament for North Tongu in the Volta region, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has asked President Akufo-Addo to present to the House of Legislature, the number of persons employed at the presidency, their ranks and others attached to that office as at close of the previous year.
The act, which is a constitutional requirement, per the Presidential Office Act, 1993 (Act 463) mandates every President under Section 11 to submit an Annual Report to Parliament within three months after the end of each financial year.
In a post made by the Member of Parliament on his social media, he said “the continuous breach of the Presidential Office Act by the President impedes the conduct of our parliamentary oversight and our lawful mandate in pursuing financial accountability.”
The MP who appeared livid in his post said “it is totally reprehensible that virtually every year I need to remind President Akufo-Addo to comply with the Presidential Office Act, 1993 (Act 463)” indicating that the submission of the report is only means through which “Parliament would know the current numbers of presidential staffers employed at the presidency, their ranks and others attached to that office as at close of the previous year.”
According to Mr. Ablakwa, as at Monday, April 08, 2024, the President had not complied to the Act which was supposed to have been adhered to by end of March.
“This cannot be a proud legacy for President Akufo-Addo — Ghana deserves better. We demand the Annual Report NOW!” the MP noted.
2023 Report
The document which was submitted to Parliament by the Office of the President in 2023, revealed that there were 1048 staffers who worked at the Presidency serving various administrative and domestic roles the preceding year.
The report covered three key areas, namely the number of Presidential Staff employed at the Office of the President during the period, the ranks and grades of these staff, and employees of other Public Services assigned to the Office of the President.
The report revealed that during the reporting period, there were two (2) Ministers of State and forty-four (44) Senior Presidential Staffers at post. The other Political Appointees at the Office of the President numbered three hundred and fifteen (315).
That brought the number of political appointees to three hundred and sixty-one (361).
“It is important to note that out of the 361 persons who are political appointees at the Office of the President, only 163 work physically at the Jubilee House. The others work in the offices to which they have been assigned.
“It is also instructive to note that, in keeping with the established practice of previous governments of the 4th Republic, the 315 other political appointees include Special Assistants, Executive Assistants, Personal Assistants to Ministers of State and Regional Ministers, employees in the Office of the Vice President, Aides and Assistants assigned to the First Lady and Second Lady, as well as employees assigned to Government agencies under the Office of the President, such as NEIP, Free SHS Secretariat, MASLOC, Special Development Initiatives Secretariat, Monitoring and Evaluation Secretariat, Zongo and Inner Cities Development Secretariat, amongst others.”
Moreover, in addition to the political appointees at the Office of the President, employees of Public Sector Organizations assigned to the Office were also included.
These categories of staff were from different classes, including Administrative, Executive/Clerical, Records, Secretarial, Budget, Procurement and Supply Chain Management, Presidential Household, and staff from the Department of Parks and Gardens, Ghana Health Service, Controller and Accountant General’s Department, Ghana Audit Service, Ghana National Fire Service, Public Works Department (Prestige), and Ghana Postal Company.
“The total number of these categories of staff was six hundred and eighty-seven (687). These categories of staff were appointed by their respective public institutions, and the Civil Service and have always been assigned to the Office of the President during previous governments.
“The submission of this report is a clear indication of the President’s commitment to transparency and accountability. It provides a comprehensive overview of the staffing position of the Office of the President, and it is expected to inform decision-making processes.”
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