Set limit to number of staff appointed to the presidency – MP

Majority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu has called for the amendment of the laws on Ministerial appointment and staffing at the presidency to allow for a cap that the President cannot go beyond.

“I think we need to engage that statute which requires the president to submit the list of his staffers to parliament,” he said.

He added: “So we must look at the statute first and if it becomes necessary to maybe put a ceiling on it we can going forward do that.”

Mensah-Bonsu comments come in the wake of massive public angst to the list of 998 staffers presented to parliament by President Akufo-Addo.

The number is some 220 staff more than the 778 employees presented to parliament by the John Mahama administration in 2013.

Ghanaians, including civil society organisations like IMANI Africa have accused the President and his government of deceit and hypocrisy after the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in opposition castigated the Mahama administration for running a huge government of about 768 staff at the Flag Staff House, now Jubilee House.

Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a senior member of the NPP and a former Executive Director of policy think tank Danquah Institute (DI) in his justification of the 998 figure, disclosed that President Akufo-Addo prioritises results over a lean government.

President of IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe, described as saddening frantic efforts by government officials to justify the staggering 998 staff at the Jubilee House.

“…That’s where my disappointment really lies, realizing that we have been double speaking and I don’t think it is fair. So anyhow you look at it my worry and disappointment is in the fact that they haven’t paid fidelity to the fact and it is of course worrying,” he said.