‘Amend Act on Presidential Staffers’

Page 17, JUne 30, 2009
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah & Daniel Nkrumah

THE Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs has recommended an amendment of Act 463, which makes provisions on the appointment, tenure and other conditions of service of the Presidential Office Staff.
According to the committee, the amendment should be done “to enable the Office of the President to present to the House a more comprehensive report which would capture, among others, some achievements and challenges, if any, that confront the presidency”.
In its report on the 2008 annual report of the Presidential Office Staff, the committee observed that the 2008 Annual Report like those of previous years provided information on just the staffing position at the presidency, which the committee considered to be unsatisfactory.
The committee noted that although unsatisfactory, the format and content of the report was in compliance with Act 463 hence the need to amend it.
The report noted that the 2008 Annual Report of the Presidential Office Staff covered the number of staff employed at the office of the President, the ranks and grades of appointed staff and employees in other public services assigned to the Office of the President.
It said the presidential staffers at post during the year under review totalled seven, and by designation included the Chief of Staff and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Chief Advisor to the President, a Minister of State, Secretary to the President, Secretary to the Cabinet and two deputy ministers.
The report said there were 17 other officers which included three senior special aides to the President, two senior special aides to the Vice President, a special assistant to the President, press secretary to the President and a writer in-residence.
“There was also a nine-member team who were responsible for policy co-ordination, monitoring and evaluation at the Presidency,” the report noted.
It said there was also a third category of officers who were employees of public sector organisations assigned to the presidency. It indicated that those officers included civil servants of various classes as well as other staff on attachment from the Department of Parks and Garden, Ghana Health Service, Controller and Accountant-General Office, Audit Service, Ghana National Fire Service and the Public Works Department, making a total of 241.
It said the last category of employees were the household staff which totalled 372, adding that those employees served at the Office of the President, including various residential and official facilities for the presidency across the entire country.
“In sum, a total of 613 persons worked at the presidency during the period in question,” the report stated.