Reduce ‘gargantuan’ appointees in reshuffle – NPP MP tells Nana Addo

Many Ghanaians continue to criticize President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the appointments of ministers, deputy ministers and Presidential Staffers, which they say is putting unnecessary strain on the economy.

Speaking at back of a tall list of Presidential Staffers working at the Jubilee House, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Gomoa West in the Central region, Alexander Abban has said there’s the need for the President to cut down on the number of ministers through a reshuffle exercise.

He said the reduction of the large size of government is very necessary, adding that the president himself is fully aware of this fact.

He dismissed reports that the new ministries created under the presidency could have inflated the figure.

Speaking on Accra-based Citi FM he said “Looking at it from that point of view, you would see some wisdom in putting them under the presidency so that the same kind of administrative set up there could be employed in assisting these various ministries.”

“It still doesn’t take away the fact, as Ghanaians tell us for us to see, that as far as these numbers are concerned, it is a big government. It doesn’t take away that fact, and I am praying that if the time comes that there should be a reshuffle, the numbers should come down,” he added.
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List of Presidential Staffers

On Friday, April 20, Nana Addo has forwarded a list of 998 current staffers and ministers of state at the presidency to Parliament for purposes of accountability.

The list, which is for the period January 7, 2017 to December 31, 2017 is in line with the constitution and the Presidential Office Act 1993 which enjoins the Presidency to annually brief Parliament on the list of persons who work at the Presidency.

The list shows that there are a total of 998 people currently working in various positions at the Presidency.

These include ministers of state at the presidency, persons working directly at the office of the president, senior presidential advisers, presidential staffers, and presidential aides and employees of other Public Services assigned to the Office of the President.

Ministers of State – 9

Presidential Staffers – 27

Junior Political Appointees – 256

Employees of Public Sector Organisations – 706

The Breakdown of the 706 Civil/Public Service Staff at the Office of the President

Chief Directors -2

Administrative Class – 21

Executive/Clerical Class – 18

Records Class – 10

Secretarial Staff – 32

Budget Analysts – 2

Supply & Materials Management Class – 15

Internal Audit Class – 5

Information Technology Class – 5

Programmer Class – 4

Research Class 3

Total strength of Administrative, Secretarial Classes, etc. and Presidential Household staff

Other staff on Attachment

Department of Parks and Gardens – 98

Ghana Health Service – 46

Controller and Accountant-General’s Department – 13

Audit Service – 7

Ghana National Fire Service – 61

Public Works Department (Prestige) – 64

Telecom – 4

Telephone Exchange – 2

Ghana Postal Company – 4

Ministries and Departments under the presidency are:

Office of the Senior Minister

Ministry of Regional Re-organisation

Ministry of Business Development

Ministry of Special Initiative

Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation

Ministry of Public Procurement

Ministry of Inner City and Zongo Development

Ministry of Planning

Ministry of Aviation

SDG Unit

Free SHS Secretariat

One District One Factory

National Entrepreneurship & Innovation Planning

Diaspora Secretariat

ECOWAS Secretariat

National Cathedral Secretariat