Defense Minister, Dominic Nitiwul has mounted a strong defence to justify government's decision to have 998 Presidential staffers.
According to the Minister, majority of the staff at the Office of the President, was inherited from the former government led by John Dramani Mahama.
Mr. Nitiwul says 678 of the current 998 Presidential staff was bequeathed to President Nana Akufo-Addo by former President John Mahama.
President Nana Akufo-Addo presented to Parliament, the list of the total number of employees at the Presidency Friday.
The release of the list is 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.
The breakdown was given as nine Ministers of state, 27 presidential staffers, 256 other/junior appointees and 706 employees of public/civil service staff.
“…most of these are civil servants,” the Defense Minister said on Joy FM’s news analysis programme, Newsfile, Saturday.
His revelation follows the public backlash that has greeted the number of staff at the Presidency.
The list is made of 998 people who work at the Presidency, the highest in the history of Ghana.
Mr Nitiwul who sought to justify government’s position explained that only 292 people have been appointed by the government.
“…and out of these only 27 of them are presidential staffers,” he said.
He argued that the opposition seeks to create the impression that all the 998 persons listed on the list are working from the Jubilee House.
The Minister clarified that these staff are working from different locations only that they are under the ‘Office of the President’.
Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga also spoke on the show said, that before any argument should be advanced, the list must be cleansed.
Mr. Ayariga argued that Ministers are not presidential staffers and therefore all the Ministers on the list must be taken out so the actual number can be realized.
“Ministers are not appointed under Act 463,” he said.
He explained that it is those appointed under Act 463 who are Presidential staffers.
