When did you arrive - Anita Desoso jabs Deputy Minister over 998 staffers

The National Vice Chairperson of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Anita Desoso has sought to belittle the argument of Deputy Information Minister, Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei to the effect the current administration is spending less on the 998 presidential staffers.

While answering questions on Kumasi-based Bohye FM hosted by Agya Yaw Obeng, the NDC executive was told the Deputy Minister on a sister radio station claimed under the previous administration, the government spent close to GH¢6 billion on staffers.

But in a sharp rebuttal she said: "look at their 2017 budget. Have you seen they claimed they have paid Health Insurance and service providers have countered and exposed their falsehood? What is she saying and when did she arrive? The amount is based on the budget and if no budget is prepared you will not get the stated amount”, she revealed.

The Former NDC National Women’s Organizer disclosed that controversial former Brong Ahafo Regional Youth Organiser, Kwame Baffoe alias Abronye DC is also captured in the list of 998 on special duties reiterating that the amount spent on staffers for a year outweighs what Mahama spent on staffers in four years.

The Deputy Minister of Information was of the view that president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo should be hailed for spending less on the 998 staffers including civil servants and that he created jobs.

“These people criticizing Nana Addo did even worse things when they were in power and so they have no case.

“Some Ghanaians especially members of the opposition keep complaining that there are no jobs and so Nana Addo in a bid to make them happy has recruited that number to work. They should rather laud the President for creating jobs for people to also work instead of attacking him always” she is quoted as saying on Accra-based Okay FM

She downplayed the effect of the numbers but emphasized on the output the numbers will bring to augment government’s preparedness to deliver Ghana beyond aid

“In these things, the numbers per se are not the most important because it’s about input and output. The line of interrogation should be what the number of staffers are producing and not just talk about the numbers” she added.

But Anita Desoso who disagrees with her line of reasoning as well as her claims and sought to suggest she is a novice who still has days to understudy others and mature in politics insisting the John Mahama administration spent lesser than Akufo-Addo and his government.