Bawumia's Promise To Run His Administration With 50 Ministers Has Angered Sammy Gyamfi To Release Bloated List Of Staffers At Bawumia's Office As At 2021

THE PUBLIC promise made by the Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to run his administration with not more than 50 ministers if elected President in the 2024 general elections has angered the National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Sammy Gyamfi to release the full list of all 24 staffers at the Vice President’s office.

Setting the record straight, Mr Gyamfi who is lawyer by profession made the public  the full list of staffers who are Mr Augustine Blay – Secretary to the Vice President,Ms Elizabeth Utuka – Executive Assistant to the Vice President, Prof. Joe Amoako-Tuffour – Secretary/Member of Economic Management Team, Prof Kwaku Appiah-Adu – Head, Delivery Unit,  Dr Gideon Boako, Technical Economic Adviser and Spokesperson and Mr Edward Owirodu Appiah – Director, Liaison.

Others include, Alhaji Ismaela Ibrahim – Director, Operations, Nana Enoch Mensah – Director, Protocol, Mr Frank Agyei-Twum – Director, Communications,Mr Isaac Botchway – Head, Security, Major Samuel Owusu-Kwakye – Head, Transport, Mr Evron Rothschild Hughes – Technical Economic Adviser, Dr Kabiru Mahama – Technical Economic Adviser, Dr Mutaka Alolo – Technical Economic Adviser, Mr Maxwell Krobea Asante – Deputy Director, Communications, Mr Akbar Rohullah Khomeini – Technical Adviser (Political), Mr Emmanuel Mensah – Chief Driver and Mr Keck Osei – Director, Administration.

The rest are Ms Lovia Bamfo – Deputy Director, Administration, ASP Issahaku Yakubu, Salam Mustapha – Director of Programmes, Dr. Samuel Frimpong – Technical Economic Adviser and Obour Kutando – Director of Special Projects.

The issue of staffers in the office of the vice president has resurfaced following Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s promise to reduce the number of ministerial appointments to 50.

In his maiden economic address as leader of the New Patriotic Party on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, Dr Bawumia indicated that, unlike President Akufo-Addo, he will reduce the number of ministers drastically.

This, he said, would lead to greater efficiency by cutting down waste and ensuring value for money in procurement. 

"The move towards the private sector provision of many public services would create fiscal space of at least 3% of GDP.

"This represents a major paradigm shift. Additionally, an efficient system of governance will require even fewer ministers. Therefore I would have no more than 50 ministers and deputy ministers,’’ he added.

The sincerity of his promise has been questioned by members of the National Democratic Congress who premise their disagreement on the number of staffers in his office as a vice president.

According to them, if Bawumia could operate with what they view to be a bloated staff list then he cannot be trusted to reduce the size of government.

On the Saturday, 10 February 2024 edition of TV3’s Key Issue programme, Mr Gyamfi threatened to release the full list of all 24 staffers at the vice president’s office.

The names of the staffers at the office of the Vice President  were identified with his religious beliefs.