Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Presidential Spokesperson, has dismissed what he describes as “deliberate disinformation” by “elements” within the New Patriotic Party (NPP), regarding budgetary allocations to the Office of the President and the Office of Government Machinery.
“It started with Hon. Abu Jinapor who claimed that the president has appointed a hundred presidential staffers and is only seeking to make up for the shortfall in ministers by appointing more presidential staffers.
“Then lately, Dr. Gideon Boako… went out to spread gratuitous falsehoods about the composition of the staff of the office of the president and the moneys allocated to the office of the president”
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Presidential Spokesperson and Minister of Government Communication
He argued that these claims are intended to undermine President Mahama’s commitment to running a lean and efficient government.
According to Kwakye Ofosu, since assuming office, President Mahama has remained dedicated to his promise of forming the leanest government in the history of the Fourth Republic.
He insisted that accusations suggesting an inflated budget for the Office of the President are misleading and fail to acknowledge the structural changes implemented under the new administration.
“The president has not employed a single additional civil servant beyond those he inherited,” he asserted.
Composition of the Office of the President
Kwakye Ofosu explained that the Office of the President consists of several key administrative units, including the General Administration, Office of the Chief of Staff, Vice President’s Secretariat, Cabinet Secretariat, Press Secretariat, and the Policy Coordination and Review unit.
In addition to these, various government agencies fall under the broader Office of Government Machinery.
He contrasted this structure with that of the previous administration, under which the Office of Government Machinery comprised 26 entities, many of which were created by the NPP government.
“They established new agencies such as the Coastal Development Authority, Middle Belt Development Authority, and the Zongo Development Fund, among others.”
Under President Mahama, the reduction in ministries from 30 to 23 has necessitated the reassignment of agencies previously under defunct ministries to the Office of the President for budgetary purposes.
Kwakye Ofosu emphasized that this restructuring does not equate to an increase in presidential staff. Rather, it reflects a reallocation of civil servants who must be accounted for under a parent agency in the budget.
“When a budget is prepared, the salaries of these civil servants must go through a mother agency,” he explained.
The Real Budget Allocations
Addressing the claims about the GHS 2.7 billion allocation, Kwakye Ofosu clarified that this figure accounts for the salaries of civil servants working under agencies that have been reassigned to the Office of Government Machinery.
“It is not money given to President Mahama for personal use,” he stressed.
He cited examples such as the Ministry of Information, which previously had 76 directors and staff before being dissolved.
Now, agencies such as the Ghana News Agency, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, and the Information Services Department operate under the government’s communication wing, with their budgets falling under the Office of the President.
“The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation alone has 1,115 staff, the Information Services Department has 1,309 staff, and the Ghana News Agency has 133 staff.
“Their salaries are now accounted for under the Office of the President, but they are paid through the Controller and Accountant General’s Department like all other public servants”
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Presidential Spokesperson and Minister of Government Communication
Similarly, he notes that security agencies that were previously under the National Security Ministry now fall under the Office of the President.
These include the National Security Council, the Research Department, the National Signals Bureau, and the National Intelligence Bureau. Their salaries are also reflected in the overall budget.
Budgetary Allocations Under NPP and NDC
Kwakye Ofosu argued that despite these necessary adjustments, President Mahama’s administration has significantly reduced discretionary expenditure.
He pointed to figures from the 2024 budget under the previous government, where GHS 924 million was allocated for goods and services under the Office of Government Machinery.
In contrast, the 2025 budget under Mahama has allocated GHS 847 million, representing a reduction of GHS 76 million.
Similarly, he highlighted a substantial cut in capital expenditure.
Under the NPP in 2024, capital expenditure for the Office of Government Machinery stood at GHS 612 million. This has been reduced to GHS 269 million under Mahama, translating to savings of over GHS 345 million.
“Despite the fact that additional agencies have been reassigned to this office, the discretionary spending has gone down, proving the president’s commitment to fiscal discipline”
Kwakye Ofosu also dismissed claims that GHS 78 million has been allocated solely for government communication.
He explained that this figure represents the operational budgets of the Information Services Department, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, and Ghana News Agency – entities that employ over 2,500 civil servants.
“For myself, my deputy, and the few administrative staff managing government communication, no such goods and services or capital expenditure has been allocated”
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Presidential Spokesperson and Minister of Government Communication
Rejecting NPP’s Disinformation Campaign
Kwakye Ofosu criticized the attempts by NPP figures such as Dr. Gideon Boako and Hon. Samuel Abu Jinapor to create a false equivalence between the current administration and the previous government.
He accused them of spreading misinformation to justify the excessive spending that characterized the Akufo-Addo administration.
He recalled how discretionary expenditure under the NPP included extravagant costs, such as GHS 68 million for presidential travel within six months.
He argued that under President Mahama, there has been a sharp departure from such practices, with a clear focus on prudent financial management.
“This government has demonstrated that it is possible to achieve more with fewer resources,” he said.
He urged Ghanaians to disregard the NPP’s propaganda and trust the administration’s efforts to streamline governance.
“We are aware that disinformation and blatant falsehoods are part of the NPP’s political strategy, but we will continue to correct the record and ensure that the people of Ghana have the facts”
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Presidential Spokesperson and Minister of Government Communication
The new administration remains committed to keeping the public informed on all government dealings and will address any attempts to misrepresent President Mahama’s policies and financial decisions.
