President's Office is over-staffed -C'ttee

...Too Many Workers..... Duplication of duties
The Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs has expressed concern about the increasing number of staff as well as cases of duplication of duties at the President's Office.

The Committee noted that as at December 31, 2001 the Office had staff strength of 718 made up of three Presidential Staffers; 12 other Presidential Appointees, 124 Public Servants assigned to the Office; 94 other Public Servants on attachment and 485 Household Staff.

However, by December 31, 2002 the number had shot up to 750 staffs made up of three Presidential Staffers; 10 other Presidential Appointees, 118 public servants Assigned to the Office; 156 Other Public Servants on Attachment and 463 Household Staff.
The Chairman of the Committee, Mr Kwame Osei-Prempeh announced these when he presented the Reports of the Committee on the Annual Report on Presidential Office Staff for 2001 and 2002 to Parliament on Friday.
The Committee noted in particular the duplication of roles among the various categories of staff and suggested that it should be addressed with utmost urgency to make the Office more efficient. More
Mr Joseph Darko-Mensah, NPP-Okaikwei North, said he disagreed with the Committees Recommendations asking the President to reduce the number of staffers since the Presidency required adequate staff to be able to do its work.
He said for the Presidential staffers to be able to do their work adequately they needed to be well motivated, maintained and their dignity restored in conformity of their functions.
Mr John Mahama, NDC-Bole, said there had been a lot of public concern about the number of Government appointees at the President's Office and its added expenditure.
He said the situation needed to be brought to the attention of the President for it to be streamlined by pruning down the number of staffers in conformity with the country's financial situation and its HIPC status. Mr Mahama said it was untenable to have more than half of public servants on attachment adding that the time had come for the President to consider directing such expenditures into other social and economic needs of the people.
Capt Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (rtd) NPP-Berekum, commended the President for fulfilling his constitutional obligations saying it is a show case of the transparency of the NPP Government.
Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, NDC- Kumbungu observed that the submission of the Report was late and urged that deadlines must be respected.
He expressed concern that there were two Deputy Ministers at the Office of the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, even though there was no substantive Minister and the Ministry had ceased to exist.
The Majority Leader, Mr Felix Owusu-Adjapong commended the President for having only three Presidential staffers and said the picture should not be painted as if the Presidency had more staff than required.
Alhaji Malik Alhassan Yakubu, NPP- Yendi, said high number of staffers at the Presidency was not unique to the present President and said the time had come if necessary for the House to give definite figures for the number of staffers to be engaged.
Mr George Amoo, NPP-Ayawaso West-Wuogon, entreated the Committee and others to give comparative analysis of the previous and the present figures of presidential staffers enable members to make informed contributions.
Mr Kofi Attor, NDC- Ho Central, questioned why public servants on attachment were more than those assigned to the Office of the President and said the Presidency should not use other measures to hide things.
Mr Osei-Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, NPP-Old Tafo-Suame, said the area of concern should be the increasing number of staffers but explained that the number was needed because the Presidency covered other sectors across the country and other auxiliary staff.
Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, NDC-Wenchi West, said nobody should deceive anybody about the number of staffers at the Presidency and that changing of designations would not do the country any good but bring about economic strangulation.
Mr Nobert Awulley, NDC-Builsa South, said it was about time that Members of the House stopped exhibiting double standards and to be open and frank in discussing national issues and not to be seen as praise singers.