Presidential Staffers To Be Reduced – Oppong Nkrumah

Minister of Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has dismissed claims by Members of Parliament on the side of National Democratic Congress MPs that government has plans of increasing the number of presidential staffers from 998 to 1,614 in the 2019 budget.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, Oppong Nkrumah noted that the number is rather reducing by 69 in 2019, saying the reduction was mostly as a result of retirements which are not being replaced.

Acording to him, the Minority and the peddlers of the allegation of an increase in the numbers were rather confusing the Office of Government Machinery (OGM) with that of the Office of the President (OOP).

“Specifically, Office of the President for the avoidance of doubt is expected to reduce by 69 by end of 2019,” he said.

This he explains makes the list to reduced from 998 to 929 adding that, the reduction was mostly as a result of retirements which are not being replaced.

“So contrary to the claim of an increase in numbers, there is rather a reduction in numbers by 69 specifically at Office of the President and net reduction of 83 in all at the entire Office of Government Machinery,” he revealed..

“Last week in Parliament and subsequently on several media platforms, the members of the Minority claimed that the government was planning to increase the number of staff at the Office of the President from 998 – 1614. They even further calculated and said an increase of 616 staffers.”

“After several requests for them to offer proof to back this claim, they referred to the 2019 budget as the source of their claim and proceeded further to claim any such act will amount to a burden on the public purse,” the Information Minister added.