The Minority in Parliament has strongly criticized the Mahama-led administration for its GHS2.7 billion budget allocation to the Office of Government Machinery (OGM) in 2025, describing it as excessive and inconsistent with the promise of a lean government.
During a parliamentary session, Abena Osei Asare, Member of Parliament for Atiwa East, highlighted the sharp increase in expenditure compared to the previous administration. She noted that under the NPP government, the OGM’s budget for compensation was GHS326 million, which included several agencies such as the development authorities, MASLOC, SIGA, and others.
“In 2025, the compensation under OGM has skyrocketed to GHS2.7 billion, even though some agencies have been removed from its purview. This is a significant and concerning increase,” she stated.
Dr. Gideon Boako, MP for Tano North, also took issue with specific allocations within the OGM budget. He criticized the GHS70 million earmarked for the research department and GHS79 million for government communications, describing the figures as disproportionately high.
“President Mahama is allocating GHS50 million for goods and services for the research department and GHS20 million for capital expenditure (CAPEX). This is for what? A head and a few office assistants? And then, government communications, led by Felix Ofosu Kwakye and deputized by Shamima Muslim, is getting GHS8.8 million for goods and services alone,” Boako said.
He sarcastically suggested that the communication team might use part of the budget to “buy internet data to scroll through social media and respond to the Minority.”
Boako argued that these allocations far exceed the budgets of three or four ministries combined under the previous Akufo-Addo administration. “This is not the lean government Ghanaians voted for,” he emphasized.
