(The Evening News) More than a year after some public officials took away the controversial End-of-Service Benefit (ESB) under the NDC regime, some of beneficiaries especially those at the Office of the President at the Castle, Osu, are still at post. But, the Chief of Staff, Mr Kwadwo Mpiani, has made it clear that all of them would have to go home to enjoy their ESBs.

Sources close to the Castle told “The Evening News” that a consultant who was tasked to review the workforce at the Presidency has completed his work and submitted the report to the Chief of Staff for action.

Insiders say at least 100 people from the Castle workforce would go home as part of the recommendations contained in the report. The source said the project is aimed at pruning down the whole Castle workforce to ensure efficiency and proper management of resources.

Most of the people to be affected by the exercise, according to the source are those who normally do not have specific role to play in the general work at the Castle and those who have already taken their ESBs. The source expressed disgust at the situation where some people take ESB although their retirements were not due and continue to be at post.

Another source at the Castle administration expressed concern about the situation and regretted that the exercise was kept away from the office, which was supposed to have handled it. “As civil servants and people who had knowledge about the exercise and supposed to have compiled the names of those going on retirement, we should have done that.”

“But this time, the whole exercise was kept away from us; a Colonel from the Ghana Armed Forces attached to the Castle was asked to conduct the exercise, thus keeping us away”, they complained.

The Chief of Staff Mr Kwadwo Mpiani, when conducted confirmed the story, but declined to comment further. He said he has received the consultant’s report and was yet to study it. He, however, emphasized that some staff at the Castle would definitely go home.

It is recalled that “The Evening News” last September reported that the Office of the President was overstaffed, with the numerical strength of the working force rising sharply from 250 to 764 shortly after the NDC lost the 2000 elections. It was reported that the workforce included people who had retired and even benefited from the controversial ESB. The then Chief of Staff, Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, confirmed the story and promised to engage experts to cut down the workforce.