Akufo-Addo's lawyer takes on Okudzeto Ablakwa over ‘reprehensible lies’ on presidential staffer list

Kow Essuman, lawyer to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has replied Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, over his comments on the current number of presidential staffers employed at the Jubilee House.

Essuman criticized Ablakwa via a tweet, accusing him of spreading what he termed as "reprehensible lies" regarding the number of presidential staffers.

He questioned the necessity of Ablakwa's demand for an annual report on presidential staffers, asserting that such a report had already been submitted to parliament by the president, as mandated by law.

Okudzeto Ablakwa, in a tweet, argued that under Section 11 of the Presidential Office Act, 1993 (Act 463), every president is required to submit an Annual Report to Parliament within three months after the end of each financial year.

He further claimed that a formal search conducted in parliament indicated that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had not yet complied with this legal obligation for the year 2023.

“It is totally reprehensible that virtually every year I need to remind President Akufo-Addo to comply with the Presidential Office Act, 1993 (Act 463) which mandates every President under Section 11 to submit an Annual Report to Parliament within three months after the end of each financial year.

“It is only through the submission of this report that Parliament would know the current numbers of presidential staffers employed at the presidency, their ranks, and others attached to that office as at close of the previous year.

“A formal search in Parliament conducted today the 8th of April, 2024 indicates that President Akufo-Addo has still not complied with Act 463 when legally, he should have submitted the 2023 Annual Report by end of March,” Ablakwa said.

He then called for immediate action, demanding the submission of the annual report to parliament.

However, Kow Essuman has fired back, asserting that President Akufo-Addo had indeed fulfilled his obligations by submitting the annual report on the staffing position of the Office of the President for the year ending December 31, 2023.

He provided details of the submission, highlighting the formal process through which the report was transmitted to the Speaker of Parliament.

“What is totally reprehensible is that you continue to perpetuate this very same lie every year and, when exposed, fail to apologize to the President and the Ghanaian people.

“How can you demand an annual report that has already been submitted by the President? It is simply inconceivable! What kind of formal search did you conduct?

“However, given your tenure in the House, you are expected to be well informed of the procedure whereby the President directly communicates with the Speaker of Parliament, submitting the annual report as stipulated by Section 11 of the Presidential Office Act, 1993 (Act 463) through the Speaker.

“On 25th March 2024, the President dutifully sent a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, enclosing the annual report on the staffing position of the Office of the President for the year ending 31st December 2023,” part of his tweet read.

He continued “This letter and its attachment were officially received in the Speaker's Office on 28th March 2024, with an acknowledgment of receipt by Saaka Klahidu. If a thorough and formal investigation had been conducted, as you claim, this information would undoubtedly have been uncovered.

“Perpetrating such baseless falsehoods by individuals holding esteemed positions significantly undermines the governance process. I respectfully urge the retraction of your statement and insist on an immediate, unequivocal apology to the President and the Ghanaian populace for propagating this deliberate disinformation.”

What is totally reprehensible is that you continue to perpetrate this very same lie every year and, when exposed, fail to apologise to the President and the Ghanaian people. How can you demand an annual report that has already been submitted by the President? It is simply… https://t.co/w8UPEgE9S9

— Kow Essuman (@kaessuman) April 9, 2024

It is totally reprehensible that virtually every year I need to remind President Akufo-Addo to comply with the Presidential Office Act, 1993 (Act 463) which mandates every President under Section 11 to submit an Annual Report to Parliament within three months after the end of…

— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) April 8, 2024