Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Minister of State for Government Communications, has debunked allegations that President John Dramani Mahama has increased the salaries of staff at the Presidency.
According to Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the current salary remuneration structure was determined under the previous Akufo-Addo administration.
He argued that under Ghana’s Constitution, the service of Article 71 office holders is determined through a specific legal process that requires the President to establish a committee, revealing that President Mahama has not set up any committee to look at the emoluments.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, June 15, 2026, Felix Kwakye Ofosu stated, “When it comes to the salaries of Article 71 holders, the law is clear that the president must set up a committee. For the avoidance of doubt, President Mahama has not set up any committee to look at the emoluments or conditions of Article 71 holders. So, the salaries of these categories of people who are working under President Mahama were determined by the NPP”.
“The law requires that when the committee finishes, the presidency must transmit the report to Parliament for subsequent approval. That was not done, so in January 2025, President Akufo-Addo submitted the recommendation to Parliament, which was approved,” he said.
“Because President Mahama has not set up such a committee, it is what we came to meet that we are taking. It is therefore illogical that the opponents turn round to say that President Mahama has increased salaries,” Mr Kwakye Ofosu added.
Meanwhile, a breakdown of President John Dramani Mahama’s political appointees at the Jubilee House in 2025 revealed that the NDC government had 124 fewer staffers at the Jubilee House in 2025 compared to the Akufo-Addo administration in 2023.
Although the Office of the President’s compensation bill was more than double, rising from ¢100 million in 2025 to ¢248 million in 2026, questions are being raised about whether a smaller Presidency has necessarily become a cheaper one to run.
In total, President Mahama’s Presidency had 233 political appointees in 2025, as compared to the publicly available data from the Akufo-Addo administration from 2023, which summed up to 357 political appointees, as data from the 2024 staffing report was not public following the change in administration.
Comparing the Akufo-Addo 2023 staff and President John Mahama’s 2025 staff revealed that the latter reduced political appointees by 124; however, reports suggest the classification may understate the number of senior-level appointees.
Although “compensation at the Office of the President amounted to ¢125 million in 2023 and rose to ¢153 million in 2024. It then fell to ¢100 million in 2025, possibly reflecting the reduction in staff numbers.
However, the 2026 budget projects compensation of GH¢248 million. That is an increase of about 148% in a single year”, reports stated.
At least 11 other political appointees have responsibilities similar to those of positions the Akufo-Addo administration classified as Senior Presidential Staffers.
“One possible explanation for the question of why staff numbers are falling but compensation is projected to rise so sharply is the fact that the 2025 compensation figures did not fully reflect the revised Article 71 salaries that were subsequently approved.
The new salary structure reportedly places MPs on about ¢60,000 per month, with ministers earning around similar levels.
Senior Presidential Staffers are generally remunerated in line with ministers, while many junior political appointees are aligned with deputy minister salary levels”.
Mahama spends GHC249m on 808 staffers in a year, surpassing Akufo-Addo’s peak of GHC153m for 920 staffers pic.twitter.com/OJePzoCKHr
— GHnow (@ghnow_) June 15, 2026
