Castle 'Pockets' ¢2.36 Billion For 2012

The Office of Government Machinery in the run up to the 2012 general elections has been allocated a whopping ¢2.36 billion (GH¢236,064,961) in the 2012 budget presented by the Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, on the 16th of November 2011.

GH¢20.8 million out of the grand total is 'unassigned' as spelt out in Appendix 9 of the budget that deals with allocations for Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Out of the GH¢236 million allocated, GH¢63.7 million has been budgeted for 'Goods and Services', GH¢20.8 million for the acquisition of 'assets', GH¢65.6 million for 'wages and salaries', GH¢30 million for the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority and GH¢35 million for MASLOC, leaving an amount of GH¢20.8 million unassigned.

It is recalled that the most significant budget increase in 2009, when President Mills assumed the reins of office, was that for the office of government machinery. Money allocated for Office of Government Machinery in 2009 shot up 163% - from GH¢110 million in 2008 to GH¢290 million in 2009.

Recent developments have made it increasingly clear that the causes of this gargantuan leap in the size of the budget for the Presidency are a direct result of the 'large' salaries drawn by aides, staffers, NDC communicators, among others at the Castle.

Last Thursday, Kwabena Agyapong, a former Press Secretary to the Presidency, revealed that his take home pay under the Kufuor administration amounted to no more than GH¢500 a month.

However, in October this year, it was revealed that the salaries of President Atta Mills' brothers, Dr. Cadman Dufu Atta Mills, Presidential Advisor; and Samuel Atta Mills, Presidential Aide, were higher than physicians and surgeons in the country.

The Mills brothers in government, Dr. Cadman Atta Mills and Samuel Atta Mills draw GH¢4,619 and GH¢3,882.86 respectively. Kwabena Agyapong.

Other aides are Messrs Kobina Abaka-Quansah who draws GH¢3902.76 while Patrick Nana Aniagyei, Mike Ernest Obuobi, Samuel Koku Anyidoho, Ludwig Akpene Hlodze, Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, Dr. Bright Afeke, Stanislav Xoese Dogbe, each draw the uniform amount of GH¢3,882.86 as presidential aides.

Dr. Eric George Alexander Don-Arthur, Tony Aidoo and Stephen George Obimpeh, senior presidential staffers, take GH¢4447.45. Amarquaye Armarh, Energy Policy Advisor, takes GH¢4209.6.

The rest are Kwesi Santi Baffoe-Bonnie, presidential staffer, GH¢4107.96, Alexander Percival Segbefia, Deputy Chief of Staff, GH¢4,086.98 and Dr. Valerie Esther Sawyerr, Deputy Chief of Staff, GH¢4086.98.