Item 9 - the
Chairman of the Committee may move the motion numbered 9 on the Order Paper. Is the Chairman here?
Report of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and
Parliamentary Affairs on the 2008 Annual Report of the Presidential
Office Staff
Mr. A. K. Agbesi (on behalf of
the Chairman of the Committee): Madam Speaker, I beg to move, that this Honourable House adopts the Report of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs on the Annual Report on the Presidential Office Staff for the period January to December, 2008.
Madam Speaker, I wish to present to this House the Report of the Committee.
1.0 Introduction
The Chief of Staff in accordance with section 11 of the Presidential Office Act, 1993 (Act 463) presented the Annual Report on the staffing position of the Office of the President for the period January - December 2008 which was laid in Parliament on 2nd June, 2009. Madam Speaker referred the document to the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for consideration and report pursuant to article 103 (3) of the Constitution and Standing Order 179 of the House.
2.0 Deliberations
The Committee met on Wednesday, 16th June, 2009 to consider the referral. The Chief Director, Mr. L. B. Tuse and the Director of Budget, Mr. Azu Ken from the Office of the President were in attendance at the invitation of the Committee to assist in deliberations. The Committee is grateful for their attendance and input.
3.0 References Documents
The Committee in considering the referral made reference to the following documents:
a 1992 Constitution
b Standing Orders of Parliament
a The Presidential Office Act, 1993 (Act 463)
4.0 Presidential Office Staff
Sections 46 of the Act 463 provide for appointment, tenure and other conditions of service of the Presidential Office Staff. The January - December 2008 Annual Report covered:
i. the number of staff employed at the Office of the President;
ii. the ranks and grades of appointed staff; and
iii. employees in other Public Services assigned to the Office of the President.
4.1 Categories of Staff Employed at the Presidency
Presidential Staffers at post during the year under review totalled seven and by designation included the following:
i. Chief of Staff and Minister for Presidential Affairs,
ii. Chief Advisor to the President,
iii. A Minister of State,
iv. Secretary to the President,
v. Secretary to Cabinet, and
vi. Two (2) Deputy Ministers.
There were seventeen other officers which included three (3) Senior Special Aides to the President, two (2) 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 (9) member team which was responsible for policy co-ordination, monitoring and evaluation at the Presidency.
4.2 Other Categories of Staff
The third categories of officers were employees of public sector organisations assigned to the Presidency. These included civil servants of various classes as well as other staff on attachment from Department of Parks and Gardens, Ghana Health Service, Controller and Accountant- General's Office, Audit Service, Ghana National Fire Service and the Public Works Department, making a total of two hundred and forty-one
The last category of employees were the household staff which totalled three hundred and seventy-two. This category of staff 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 six hundred and thirteen persons worked at the Presidency during the period in question. The respective categories of employees including the presidential staffers are attached in the form of annexure to this Report.
5.0 Observation
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, however, noted that the format and content of the Report was in compliance with Act 463.
The Committee, therefore, observed the need to amend Act 463 in due course to enable the Office of the President to present to the House a more compre- hensive Report which would capture among others, at least, some achievements and challenges, if any, that confront the Presidency.
6.0 Recommendations Conclusion
The Committee has examined the Report in detail and considers the content satisfactory in the light of section 11 of Act 463. The Committee accordingly recommends that this House adopts the Annual Report on Presidential Office Staff, JanuaryDecember, 2008.
Respectfully submitted.