Stop defiling Sundays with lies – Ablakwa to Oppong Nkrumah

The Minority in Parliament has accused Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, of peddling falsehood and half-truths in his claim that the workers at the seat of government will see a slash in 2019 rather than an increase.

Mr Nkrumah made the claim on Sunday, 25 November after the Ranking Member of parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa had alleged during a debate on the 2019 budget that the number of presidential staffers has ballooned from 998 to 1,614 as captured in the 2019 budget.

Mr Nkrumah, however, accused the Minority of confusing the workers at the Office of the President with those at the Office of Government Machinery.

At a counter press conference in parliament on Monday, 26 November 2018, Mr Ablakwa provided information in the 2019 budget to buttress his earlier position that the number has increased and also questioned why the government will make a provision of GHS110 million to engage a staff of 1,614 for 2019.

“We must emphasize that this is the only record in parliament. We do not know of any Office of the President 998 number as part of a 1,697 Office of Government Machinery as Mr Oppong Nkrumah claimed. This must only exist in his imagination,” he stated.

He insisted that the Minority still holds the belief that “this government is simply too large, wasteful and humongous. We cannot continue on the reckless and insensitive trajectory”.

Mr Ablakwa also admonished Mr Nkrumah to observe Sundays as holy days and desist from defiling it with lies.

“We do not expect him to be defiling the day with falsehood and half-truths in his Sunday press briefings,” Mr Ablakwa concluded.