President Nana Akufo-Addo rejected criticism he is creating a parallel civil service with his "elephant-sized" government, saying he wants an insight into what is going on in institutions such as the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).

He was speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic and Ghana Television at the Flagstaff House which aired on Friday.

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"All of us know there is enormous challenge with system of public procurement in our country in these last five, six years in which contracts, many of them had questionable sole sourcing," he said

"I want somebody familiar with the process, whose duty will be to keep me fully engaged all the time on what is going on, and therefore, being able at anyone stage to be able to alert me the issue she sees that something has gone wrong in that system," he said.

President Nana Akufo-Addo said there was "dramatic experience" with public procurement under the Mahama administration, saying "it is necessary for us to focus on it. It is an area of special concern."

He said he is determined to ensure that competitive bidding is upheld, stressing his commitment to protecting the public purse.

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The President on Wednesday appointed Deputy Majority Leader and MP for  Dome Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Sarfo, as Minister of State in Charge of Public Procurement.

He was widely criticised, and according to a political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Prof. Ransford Gyampo, the president is trying to create a parallel civil service.