Presidential list has exposed the hidden people - Pratt

There were exactly 678 presidential staffers at the Flagstaff House as of December 2013. The list was submitted to Parliament by the Presidency, but before then, many were eager to know the presidential staffers.

The Chief of Staff, Prosper Bani, heads the 678-member presidential office staff, including advisors to the President, presidential staffers, presidential aides and ministers of state to the presidency, according to an annual report on presidential office staff signed by President John Mahama on January 28, 2014 and released to Parliament from the presidency.

It was in fulfilment of Section 11 of the Presidential Act 1993 (Act 463), which demands that the President submits a list of staffers to the House annually.

The 2013 list is 17 more than the one inherited by President John Mahama from his boss, the late President John Evans Atta Mills.

Among the list are Economist Dr. Nii Moi Thompson who serves as a Presidential Adviser as well as late President John Mills’ brother, Dr Cadman Mills, who is also a Presidential Adviser.

However, Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper appears delighted that the list of presidential staffers has finally been made public; adding that certain individuals who over the years have denied working at the presidency but respond to government issues in the media have now been uncovered.

“Those at the Flagstaff House who thought their identity will not be known, today they have all been exposed…we know them now, so when they talk we know where they are coming from. Thanks to the constitution, we know the hidden ones at the presidency (Flagstaff House) this is very good,” he said.

Speaking on Adom FM, Kwesi Pratt considered the submission of the names of the 678 presidential staffers as an added level of transparency in government.