Akufo-Addo keeps violating the Presidential Office Act – Ablakwa

Ablakwa says Akufo-Addo must submit details of presidential staffers before the end of March

President violating the laws of the country in a ‘violent manner’ - MP

Why should it take a lot of effort for the president to provide details of staffers – MP

Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has bemoaned the constant failure of President Akufo-Addo to furnish Parliament with the list of presidential staffers within the stipulated time in line with the Presidential Office Act.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Friday, Ablakwa said that by failing to submit the list of staffers the president was undermining the rule of Parliament and also violating the Constitution of Ghana.

“Section 11 of Act 463 of the Presidential Office Act states relates to an annual report and it provides … ‘the President shall within 3 months after the end of each financial year submit to Parliament an annual report containing the following information; the number of presidential staff employed at the Office, the rank or grade of such staff; and employees in the other public services assigned to the Office.

"Mr speaker today is the 1st April, the president is in clear breach of the Presidential Office Act … we cannot accept this as a House. If this delay continues, it undermines the authority of this institution. I recall that virtually every year the president is in breach of this provision and I have to be screaming and crying and yelling before the presidency will comply,” he said.

He added that it is baffling that it takes a lot of effort to get “the President who likes to project himself as a paragon of the rule of law to be violating the laws of our country in such a violent manner.”

He reiterated that the furnishing of Parliament with the presidency's staff list is a legal requirement and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo must comply with it.