Government not overspending despite 998 Jubilee House staff - Sammy Awuku

The National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Sammy Awuku says government is not spending beyond its budget despite having 998 presidential staffers at the seat of government.

According to him, the Nana Addo-led government is focused on achieving its promises to Ghanaians and not perturbed about the number of staffers working at the presidency.

President Akufo-Addo has come under serious attacks especially from elements of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 998 list of presidential staffers presented to parliament.

The release of the list is in compliance with Section 11 of the Presidential Office Act, 1993 (Act 463), which requires the President to submit annually to Parliament, a report on the staffing position of the Office of the President.

The breakdown was given as nine Ministers of state, 27 presidential staffers, 256 other/junior appointees and 706 employees of public/civil service staff.

Commenting on the issue on NEAT FM’s morning show ‘Ghana Montie’, the aspiring National Organizer of the NPP, Sammy Awuku wondered why the NDC will criticize the number of staffers after a ‘reasonable’ breakdown.

He noted that, regardless the number, government is not spending beyond its budget - “Even with their lesser number in 2015-2016, they [NDC] over spent their budget times two”.

“I will be worried if the Nana Addo-led government had overspent its budget due to its staffers or if we are not achieving our targets. But so far, over the past year, we [NPP] have delivered on our promises and we will continue to deliver even with these numbers”, he told NEAT FM’s morning show host, Mc-Jerry Osei Agyemang.