The failure of government to properly resource the Office of the Special Prosecutor, according to Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for the North Tongu Constituency, might be ascribed to the large number of presidential workers in the Presidency.
According to him, President Akufo-Addo has a bloated staff at Jubilee House, which is hurting the allocation of cash to other equally vital government departments, based on his observations and accessible documents.
He mentioned that the Office of the Special Prosecutor is one of the agencies that is being harmed by the President's overstaffing.
"Another topic of mine is the President's Office in terms of staffing. We have the ability to fill a wide range of amorphous roles.
An overseer of the National Cathedral, a church relations manager, and a diaspora church mobilization officer. Even though we have more than 60 embassies across the world, we have a young ambassador for diaspora issues, as you can see on page 24 of this report.
The Office of Government Machinery reported 136.2 million in wages and salaries in 2022. I'm on page 234 of Appendix 7 of the 2020 budget. It has risen to 823 million in 2021 as a result of all of these vague hires. Between 136 and 823. So please don't tell me that we can't afford the Special Prosecutor.
"This is a 508 percent rise," he complained.
In a similar event, Mary Awelana Addah, the Programmes Manager of the Ghana Integrity Initiative, has questioned President Akufo-commitment Addo's to combating the country's corruption problem.
Despite a few fair steps by the President to stop the canker, she believes the President must display equivalent action with his statements on combating corruption.
She criticized the obstacles experienced by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, in the performance of his responsibilities in an interview with Samson Lardy Anyenini on NewsFile on Saturday.
The lack of a Board to assist the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the lack of funding to administer it, in her opinion, demonstrate the President's lack of commitment to fighting corruption.
"Let's be honest, it's not much more intriguing. We should call a spade a spade and state that, despite his promises to fight corruption, our President has not demonstrated that commitment by his actions when it comes to the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
I say this because the Board's makeup is such that it is institutional. As a result, the institutions offer the list, which is then presented to the Presidency in order for these individuals to be sworn in to take over the Office.
And I'm arguing that this gentleman's devotion isn't reflected in his actions because, if he's meant to work, the Board should provide him with strategic advice and direction. The Board is obliged to advise him on recruitment, particularly of certain workers, as per his Act," she stated.
Concerning the OSP's structural architecture, she stated that, based on her prior inspections, only the ninth level of the building is appropriate for operation, demonstrating the lack of a favorable working environment for the OSP.
Mary Awelena Addah made her remarks in response to news that the Office of the Special Prosecutor lacks a governing board, nine months after Kissi Agyebeng was officially sworn in as the Special Prosecutor.
Mr. Agyebeng was sworn in as President in August of 2021. A Board is required to formulate policies for the Office's objective, ensure proper and effective performance of the Office's functions, and advise the Special Prosecutor on the recruitment and selection of various staff, among other duties, according to sections 5 and 6 of the Office of Special Prosecutor Act 2017, Act 959.
The Board will also include the Special Prosecutor, the Deputy Special Prosecutor, one representative from the Audit Service, the Ghana Police Service, the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), the Financial Intelligence Centre, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), a person nominated by the Minister for National Security, and one other female representative from the Anti-Corruption Civil Society Organizations.