'Activists' in 998 Presidential staff list doing research at Jubilee House - Mustapha Hamid

Minister for Information and Spokesperson for the Presidency in Ghana, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid has said certain NPP social commentators whose names appeared in the 998 presidential staffers list are serving as research assistants at the Jubilee House, aiding the Director of Research, Mr Victor Newman.

The current NPP administration under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was weeks ago, accused of allegedly employing a total of about 1,697 people at the seat of government.

This revelation met numerous critics from mainly members of the opposition, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and members of the public with the general concern of straining the nation’s purse.

The President then 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, submitted a list containing names of all workers at the Jubilee House making a total.

The list revealed that there were nine ministers of state, 27 presidential staffers, 256 other/junior appointees and 706 employees of public/civil service staff making a total of 998 staffers debunking earlier claims of having 1697 workers at Jubilee House.

In an interview on ’21 Minutes with KKB’ , Mr. Abdul-Hamid was asked how names like Samuel Byran Buabeng and Benjamin Bonti made an appearance in the list as these two are known social media activist for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) who tirelessly profess their strong faith in the President’s leadership before, during and after the elections.

Samuel Bryan Buabeng and Benjamin Bonti are both listed as Assistant Technical officers together with 17 others on the list released by the President.

The Information Minister then told host Kwabena Kyenkyenhene Boateng that, “ The president for example appointed a director of research. That position was one of the very first positions that the President announced, Chief of Staff, director of operations etc. So you think Mr. Newman is the only person who does all the research that informs government policy and tracks government records and so on? It cannot be Mr. Victor Newman alone. So you should know that even inside the Jubilee House there will be people who would constitute the research secretariat for example, there will be people who will be in the office of the director of operations for example. And so if Samuel Bryan Buabeng or whoever was an NPP activist and has been given a piece of job to do in the Jubilee House, they are Ghanaians.”

“I am also a Social media commentator. I have social media accounts and so to that extent I am also a social media commentator but I am a minister. Why? I don’t qualify to be a minister because I am on Facebook? They do a lot of research. Research that informs government policy. They assist Mr. Victor Newman,” he stressed.

Although there are reports showing Former President John Dramani Mahama also had a large number of people working with him (about 897) , people seem to be peeved somehow with President Akufo-Addo had more people working under him during his tenure than Ghanaians are being made to believe.