The Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, has called on civil society organisations (CSOs) and independent policy institutions to conduct a thorough assessment of the actual size and cost of the Mahama administration.

According to him, public discussions about the size of government should go beyond the number of ministers and deputy ministers and focus on the broader compensation burden arising from political appointments across the public sector.

Speaking on Joy FM's Top Story on Monday, June 15, Mr Abdulai Jinapor dismissed suggestions that his criticism of the government was politically motivated, insisting that budgetary allocations and compensation figures warranted closer scrutiny.

“I am very happy that Joy FM and Multimedia are bringing this matter up. I think civil society and other independent bodies should dig into the size of government properly as it relates to its impact on the public sector,” he said.

Mr Abu Jinapor argued that assessing government size based solely on ministerial appointments presents an incomplete picture, as numerous presidential staffers, advisers and appointees may be drawing salaries from the Office of Government Machinery and other state institutions.

He pointed to compensation allocations in the 2025 Budget, stating that questions should be asked about staffing levels and remuneration patterns despite the government's claim of operating a lean administration.

He explained that appointees within the Office of the President are placed on different salary grades, with some senior presidential advisers receiving emoluments equivalent to cabinet ministers, while others are pegged at deputy minister level.

“What you have to do is interrogate the compensation budget for the Office of Government Machinery and examine the status peggings of the various appointees,” he stated.

Mr Abu Jinapor further alleged that a number of National Democratic Congress regional organisers had been appointed as presidential staffers attached to Regional Coordinating Councils and were being remunerated through the government's compensation budget.

He also claimed that political appointees serving as corporate affairs directors, communication advisers and special advisers had been deployed across ministries, departments and agencies, contributing to government expenditure.

According to him, a comprehensive evaluation of such appointments would provide a more accurate understanding of the actual size of government and its financial implications.

His comments come amid ongoing public debate over government expenditure and the cost of political appointments, following claims and counterclaims between the governing National Democratic Congress and the opposition New Patriotic Party over which administration has maintained a leaner government structure.