Revealed: Political appointees at Jubilee House now 311

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Political appointees at the seat of Ghana’s government – Jubilee House – are now 311, according to a list presented to Parliament.

Per the documents in possession of Dailymailgh.com, there are five Ministers of State at the presidency, 36 presidential staffers and 270 junior political appointees, making a total of 311.

The annual report on Presidential Office Staff for 2019 to Parliament was in line with the Presidential Office Act, 1993 (Act 463).

In all, there are 934 staff, a drop from the figure of 957 in 2018, according to the full list presented to the House.

According to a senior government official, these are appointments made by the current government at the presidency, “excluding civil servants who have been working at the presidency since Rawlings time.”

“So in actual fact the previous figures hovering around 900 plus are just an addition of civil servants who have been here before we even came to power,” the official explained.

In 2018, President Akufo-Addo forwarded a list of 998 staffers and ministers of state at the Presidency to Parliament. That list was for the period January 7, 2017, to December 31, 2017.

There was public backlash when the government presented a figure of 957 from 998 as presidential staffers to Parliament in 2019.

Meanwhile, North Tongu lawmaker Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has once again raised concerns over what he says is the increasing number of presidential staffers at the Presidency.

According to him, the number and duplication of roles and titles at the Jubilee House are worrying and must be checked.

In a post on Facebook, the MP said the taxpayers’ money is being spent unfairly on political appointees.

“It is deeply worrying to observe that President Akufo-Addo cannot seem to help himself. Despite widespread public outrage over his penchant for an elephantine-sized government; the number of Presidential Staffers has increased from 28 in 2018 to 36 in 2019.
Also, the list of junior political appointees has shot up from 254 in 2018 to 270 in 2019.

“Even more troubling are the foggy designations. For example, we have Duke Ofori-Atta presented in the report as “Director of Programmes.” Then there is Amina Sammo who is “Director of Programme.” There’s Ouborr K. Kutando, Director of Special Project and then Alexander Gyedu who is “Director, Special Projects.

“In addition to the controversial portfolio of Minister of State for Public Procurement held by Sarah Adjoa Sarfo, there’s listed a “Director for Procurement Compliance” in the person of Samuel Kwaku Adu. In a similar vein, though Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed Awal continues to function as Minister for Business Development, the taxpayer is further burdened with a “Director of Business Support” named as Franklin Owusu-Karikari,” he wrote.

He stressed: “It is particularly curious as to why the taxpayer should be saddled with a full time “Overseer of the National Cathedral” even though we are told in rather hazy terms that the National Cathedral is a non-state voluntary effort”.

Source: Daily Mail GH