The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has panned his colleague Members of Parliament, for vindicating the number of government appointees through the approval of six Ministerial nominees.
The swipe comes after the Presidency released the report on the number of staffers at the Presidency. The number of employees increased from 934 in 2020, to 995 in 2021 and then shot up to 1048 in 2022. This is currently the alleged number of staffers who work at the Jubilee house.
The North Tongu Parliamentarian believes rejection of the new nominees, would have been a strong indicator to the government about the protest to its large size.
“I am sure that if last Friday, March 24, all 136 of us had voted rejecting those new 8 appointees, I don’t think President Nana Addo would have had the courage to do this. In the sense, I’m forced to blame some of my colleagues, the traitors among us who have brought us here.
“Because we are basically emboldening this President, telling him that he can do his worst because allies within the opposition will continue to cheer you on in secret. We will continue to endorse your callous policies. And I am deeply pained, so horrified and hurt by the treachery of some of our colleagues.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
A document submitted to Parliament by the Office of the President, revealed that 1048 staffers work at the Presidency serving various administrative and domestic roles. The report submitted to Parliament is in accordance with section 11 of the Presidential Office Act, 1993 (Act 463).
The report covers 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).
“Minority Traitors Have Emboldened Akufo-Addo’s Recklessness”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa reiterated the failure of the Minority to block Akufo-Addo’s new ministers and this he claims, has emboldened the president to make more reckless decisions that would negatively affect the public purse.
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 number is an increase on the 2021 and 2022 numbers sent to Parliament in accordance with section 11 of the Presidential Office Act, 1993 (Act 463).”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Speaking in an interview, the North Tongu MP accused President Akufo-Addo of being insensitive and reckless despite the crippling economic crisis. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa added that the unfaithful demeanor by his colleague Minority MPs who voted to approve the president’s ministerial and judicial nominees, will only cheer the president on to make more thoughtless verdicts that eventually disturb the public purse.
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