Bawumia’s false claim on 750,000 public sector jobs exposed by his own budget statement – Felix

Felix Kwakye Ofosu has dismissed claims by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia that 750,000 public sector workers have been created in the last five years.

The former Deputy Minister of Communications said that the government’s budget statement exposes what he called the “falsehood’ by the second gentleman of the land.

As part of fixing the problems facing the country, Dr. Bawumia has said that customers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) can now buy prepaid credit on their mobile phones without having to go through difficulties in long queues to do so.

Enumerating the number of projects and policies introduced in tackling the problems facing Ghanaians especially, the youth, Dr. Bawumia said “We have recruited nurses, doctors, other healthcare workers, teachers, police officers and many others at least 750,000 public sector workers recruited.

“ECG customers can now easily buy prepaid electricity units conveniently from wherever you are from your mobile phones.”

With passport acquisition, he said, “The online passport applications processes are helping many people and making it easier to obtain a passport.”

Dr. Bawumia had said that Mr. Akufo-Addo has delivered on his promise by largely reducing the hardships Ghanaians, especially the youths are faced with.

He said although challenges still remain in the country owing to the pandemic, the government of Mr. Akufo-Addo has through policies and programs managed the hardships in the country properly.

He said these in a Facebook post to mark the International Youth Day on Thursday, August 12.

He said “Yesterday, we marked the International Youth Day in Ghana and across the world. I would like to remind the youth of our dear country that the NPP promised to reduce the suffering Ghanaians were going through under the economic mismanagement of the NDC.

“After four years in office, what is clear is that even though many Ghanaians are facing challenging times especially as a result of the economic implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of the NPP under the leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has, through policies implemented, delivered largely on its promise of reducing the suffering of Ghanaians even though we have a lot more to do in that direction.

But reacting to his claims in a Facebook post, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu said “On his second claim that this government has employed over 750,000 public sector workers in the last 5 years, his own budget statements expose him. Because public sector workers are paid with public funds, their numbers are captured in the budget statements over the years for budgeting purposes.

“Appendix 7 of the 2017 budget statement presented by Ken Ofori Atta clearly breaks down the staff strength of the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies(MDAs) at the beginning of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration and gives the total figure as 626,781.

“Appendix 7 on page 242 of the 2021 budget presented in March this year puts the total staff strength of the MDAs at 839,561.

“This means that the increase in public sector employee numbers in the last 5 years is actually 212,780 and not the hallucinatory 750,000 Mahamadu Bawumia is bandying about.”