2021 Budget: Ablakwa Questions Government’s Decision To Cater For Only 2 OSP Staff

The MP for the North Tongu constituency in the Volta Region, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has questioned the reasoning behind government’s decision to make provision for only two staff of the Office of the Special Prosecutor in the 2021 budget. Mr. Ablakwa described the decision as shocking. I hope the Nana Akufo-Addo

Administration isn’t shutting down the Office of the Special Prosecutor or is it the case of a costly error? Whereas the 2020 budget made provision for an OSP staff strength of 251 (see page 234 of 2020 budget); the 2021 budget presented to Parliament shockingly provides for only two (2) employees at the OSP (see page 242 of 2021 budget). Meanwhile, he has urged the

government to quickly rectify the anomaly if it’s an error. I am inclined to assume Government made an error. If that is the case, the error should be quickly rectified and Ghanaians told the true 2021 staffing situation at the OSP. The North Tongu legislator took to his social media pages to express his disappointment on the issue. The 2021 budget was presented to Parliament today, Friday, March 12, 2021, by the Majority Leader and the caretaker Minister for the Finance Osei Mensah Bonsu.

Below is Ablakwa’s full post 

I hope the Akufo-Addo Administration isn’t shutting down the Office of the Special Prosecutor or is it the case of a costly error? Whereas the 2020 Budget made provision for an OSP staff strength of 251 (see page 234 of 2020 Budget); the 2021 Budget presented to Parliament today shockingly provides for ONLY TWO (2) employees at the OSP (see page 242 of 2021 Budget). I

am inclined to assume Government made an error. If that is the case, the error should be quickly rectified and Ghanaians told the true 2021 staffing situation at the OSP. Already, President Akufo-Addo’s anti-corruption rhetoric lies in ruins and has been further worsened by the embarrassing Domelevo forced retirement-debacle. Many since agree with Prof. Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi

that President Akufo Addo’s anti-corruption credibility is in tatters. As I noted in Parliament the other day, the President Akufo-Addo Government is in urgent need of a corruption vaccination. Discoveries of this nature in Government’s own principal official document even if in error would only confirm how little or no attention is being paid to the fight against corruption and I shall highlight more troubling revelations from this year 2021 Budget shortly. Best of the weekend.