‘You didn’t inherit 998 presidential staffers, you created them’ – Dr. Apaak hits back

A former Presidential staffer, Dr. Clement Apaak, has rubbished claims that a chunk of presidential staffers under Nana Akufo-Addo was inherited from the John Mahama administration.

In line with Section 11 of the Presidential Office Act, 1993 (Act 463), the president last Friday released a list of 998 staff working at the seat of government, thus the Jubilee House.

The number is a huge jump from what was used by his predecessor John Dramani Mahama, about 678.

It is made up of nine Ministers of state, 27 presidential staffers, 256 other and junior appointees, as well as 706 employees of public and civil service staff.

Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul on Saturday claimed majority those on the list was inherited from John Mahama.

“…Most of these are civil servants,” he explained, following criticisms of the figure, which is being described as profligate.

He told Joy FM that only 292 people have been appointed by the Akufo-Addo government, indicating, “…out of these only 27 of them are presidential staffers,” he said.

But Dr. Apaak has hit back at Mr. Nitiwul describing his assertion as false.

“For your education, the 678 John Mahama submitted to Parliament as list of his staff at his office included both political appointees, myself included, and public/civil servants,” he told TV3 Sunday.

Akufo-Addo’s “706 public/civil servants alone dwarf John Mahama’s political appointees and public/civil servants combined; 678, and you say what?!”

He described the figure by the Akufo-Addo-led administration as unprecedented, adding, “you did not inherit, you created, just as you created 110 ministerial and countless CEO positions!”