Accra: Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has criticized NPP communicator Dennis Miracles Aboagye for alleging that the Mahama administration has inflated the number of presidential appointees and increased associated costs for the state. This follows Aboagye's claims that the current government employs 808 appointees at the Presidency, despite earlier pledges to cap this number at 30.
According to Ghana Web, Aboagye expressed his concerns on Facebook, stating, "The current government that the Minister for Government Communications told us has only 30 appointees turns out to have 808 of them. Their cost is three times the cost of all previous governments. What a waste!!!" In response, Kwakye Ofosu labeled Aboagye a "propagandist" and argued that the figures being shared were misleading.
Kwakye Ofosu clarified that the 808 figure includes both political appointees and civil servants assigned to the Presidency, noting that the civil servants were not appointed by President John Dramani Mahama. He detailed, "There are 233 political appointees at the Presidency and 575 civil servants (not appointed by President Mahama) who have been seconded to the Presidency."
He further compared the current figures to those under the previous administration, asserting that the Akufo-Addo government had appointed more political personnel at the Presidency. "In 2022, you were one of 361 political appointees and 687 civil servants. In 2024, you were part of 332 political appointees at the Presidency. President Mahama has reduced the numbers which your government took to incredible and unprecedented heights," Kwakye Ofosu added.
In addition, Kwakye Ofosu refuted claims of increased spending on presidential staff, emphasizing that salaries and conditions of service have remained unchanged. "The political appointees at the Presidency have the same salaries and conditions as you had, which were presented to Parliament by President Akufo-Addo and approved on January 6, 2025," he stated.
Aboagye's comments came after the government presented its annual staffing report on the Office of the President to Parliament, revealing that 808 individuals were employed at the Presidency as of December 31, 2025. The report, prepared under Section 11 of the Presidential Office Act, 1993 (Act 463), provides a detailed breakdown of the workforce at the Presidency during the 2025 reporting period.
According to the report, the total staff includes 233 political appointees and 575 public sector employees, among them civil servants and officers seconded from other state institutions. It also lists four Ministers of State serving at the Presidency as of the end of December 2025, 39 Presidential Staffers, and 190 other political appointees within the Office of the President.
Beyond the political appointees, the report highlights personnel from various public sector agencies, including the Ghana Health Service, Controller and Accountant-General's Department, Ghana Audit Service, Department of Parks and Gardens, Public Works Department (Prestige), and the Ghana Post Company, among others.