Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has waded into discussions regarding the size of staffers at the Jubilee House.
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, pursuant to Section 11 of the Presidential Office Act, 193 (Act 463), has submitted to Parliament an annual report on the staffing position of the Office of the President for the period 1st January to 31st December, 2022.
The report covers three key areas namely the 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.
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), bringing the number of political appointees to three hundred and sixty-one (361).
Out of the 361 persons who are political appointees at the Office of the President, only 163 work physically at the Jubilee House while the others work in the offices to which they have been assigned, according to the report.
Commenting on the report during Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo”, Kwesi Pratt was alarmed by the number of Presidential staffers under the Akufo-Addo administration alluding to the government, when it was in opposition, opposed the previous Mahama government over same issue.
Mr. Pratt questioned the justification for the President to have such numbers at the Jubilee House.
“Truly, this government which is His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo‘s government’s appointees are more than any government in Ghana’s history. That is not debatable,” he stated.
Offering solutions to this problem, he noted that there should be an establishment which sets a fixed number of Presidential staffers for every government and provides little to no room for changes to be effected by the successive government.
“We have to set up an establishment for the Presidency. So, whether it is NPP or NDC government in power, it will be the same establishment,” he told host Nana Yaw Kesseh.
Source: peacefmonline.com
