Akufo-Addo has employed only 5 in his government – NDC MP

The Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, says claims by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo led government of employing 1,096,404 within the last fifteen months are never true, urging the public to disregard such and continue remain steadfast in holding the new administration accountable.

According to him, per available records to Parliament, the government has employed only five people who are currently working at the Ministry of Regional Reorganization and Development.

At the May Day celebration which was held in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, Tuesday, May 1, 2018, the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Hon. Ignatius Baffour Awuah, told the nation that government has within the fifteen months of its administration employed 1,096,404 people in various sectors of the economy.

For instance, he said the Ministry of the Interior has since the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) assumed office employed 3,500 people into the various security agencies whiles the Ministry of Works and Housing has also employed 4,039.

That of the Ministries of Lands and Natural Resources, Regional Reorganization and Development, Office of Government Machinery and Aviation has employed 24,678, 5, 545 and 627 respectively.

The Ministry of Transport, he added, has also employed a total of 894 people whiles that of the Ministries of Trade and Industry, Sanitation and Water Resources, Defence, Food and Agriculture and Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation has employed 31,171, 193, 2,050, 822,067 and 70 respectively.

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has also employed 6,475 while the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations has engaged the services of 16,900 people.

In addition to that, the Ministries of Health, Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Inner City and Zongo Development have employed 16,505, 15, and 3,000 respectively.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Education has engaged a total number of 33,160 people while the Ministries of Business Development and SSNIT have employed 987,461 and 108,943 respectively.

But the Deputy Minority Chief Whip who is also the Member of Parliament for Banda said such figures are disputable, wondering when such employment occurred.

He said it beats his imagination why the government which claimed that because of the IMF conditionalities, they cannot employ will turn around and tell the public that it has so far engaged the services of 1,096,404 people.

He insisted that the Minority is only aware of the engagement of only five people whom he said are working at the Ministry of Regional Reorganization.