By Ghana News 
The executive administration has mounted a vigorous factual defense against growing public criticism regarding its fiscal structures. Government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu has officially dismissed widespread media claims suggesting a hidden surge in the salaries of political appointees at the presidency.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday June 15 2026, the state communicator labeled the controversial reports as entirely misleading and mathematically inaccurate.
The formal policy briefing focused heavily on structural payroll transparency and institutional employee headcounts. Kwakye Ofosu revealed that President John Dramani Mahama formally submitted the compiled list of active presidency staff during the first quarter of the year in total compliance with state laws.
Logic dictates that an administration cannot simultaneously slash its workforce and blow past its baseline budget allocations. The verified public payroll data shows that the current executive structure comprises exactly 233 political appointees working alongside 575 career civil and public servants.
This brings the total workforce at the presidency to 808 individuals, which represents a noticeable reduction from the 953 total staff members recorded under the previous administration in 2024. Furthermore, the spokesperson clarified that the current administration has downsized its executive committee to just 58 functional ministers and deputy ministers.
Addressing the persistent rumors regarding salary hikes, Kwakye Ofosu explained that no fresh independent emolument committee has been set up to review or alter the earnings of Article 71 office holders. The presidency completely inherited these active payment structures from the previous government, and any adjustments require explicit parliamentary approval. While standard staff members do not officially fall under Article 71, successive administrations utilize a long-standing analogous classification to calculate their conditions of service.
Hoping to convince the public that you are cutting state waste while secretly inflating the bank accounts of your political aides is a severe logical contradiction that voters will quickly notice. While opposition commentators naturally enjoy turning every government payroll sheet into a massive national scandal, the rigid legal framework governing public funds makes unauthorized salary hikes almost impossible to execute.
True fiscal accountability relies on cold hard data rather than loud media headlines. By keeping the executive team minimized to 58 ministers and shrinking the overall presidential staff by over a hundred personnel, the current administration has provided a clear, verifiable demonstration of its stated commitment to sustainable public financial management.
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