Former Legal Counsel to former President Nana Akufo-Addo, Kow Essuman, has challenged claims regarding staffing levels at the Presidency, insisting that official records do not support suggestions that the previous administration maintained a larger workforce than the current government.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, June 11, Mr Essuman said he was directly involved in preparing and submitting annual staffing reports to Parliament during his tenure and therefore had first-hand knowledge of the figures.

According to him, the report often referenced on social media relates to staffing levels between January 1 and December 31, 2022, and does not reflect the final staffing numbers under the Akufo-Addo administration.

He stated that the 2023 report, submitted in March 2024, recorded a total staff strength of 1,048 at the Presidency, while the 2024 report reflected a reduction to 921 staff.

Mr Essuman explained that a significant portion of the personnel at the Presidency comprised civil and public service employees rather than political appointees.

He noted that in 2023, political appointees numbered 357, while civil and public service staff accounted for 564 workers, including civil servants, presidential household staff and other public sector employees attached to the Office of the President.

He argued that these categories of workers are not political appointments and have traditionally formed part of the Presidency’s workforce under successive governments.

The former presidential adviser also questioned whether the current administration had complied with the legal requirement to submit a staffing report covering the period from January 1 to December 31, 2024.

He urged the government to publish the figures that existed at the time former President Akufo-Addo left office, or explain why the report had not been submitted if that was the case.

Mr Essuman further expressed concern over what he described as a significant increase in expenditure on presidential staff despite claims of reduced personnel numbers.

He additionally accused the government of withholding salary arrears and benefits due to former presidential staffers and political appointees, while continuing to pay current office holders based on salary adjustments approved shortly before the end of the previous administration.

Mr Essuman argued that public accountability requires transparency and fairness, urging the government to honour outstanding obligations and ensure that official records, rather than political narratives, guide public debate.