Ghana gets befitting seat of Government

... Kufuor to use Presidential Palace Afterall
Accra, Nov. 10, GNA - Ghana on Monday marked the erection of a historic national monument, a befitting seat of Government after half-a-century of political independence, with grandeur and colour.

The Presidential Complex named the "Golden Jubilee House" would serve both as office for the Presidency and official residence of the President.

Inaugurating the phase one of project, President John Agyekum Kufuor said the Government at every stage of the construction, had been sensitive to the financial implications of the venture as well as the conditions of life of the society.

The project was originally estimated to cost 36.9 million dollars but with the provision of added facilities to enhance external and internal security as advised by the Security Services, it is now expected to go up.

It was undertaken with Indian concessionary loan that has a 50 per cent grant element and an interest rate of 1.75 per cent, repayable in 25 years including a five-year moratorium.

Indian Contractors, Shapoorji Pallonji, undertook the project. The construction works started in 2006.

The decision to construct the complex generated robust national debate tainted with partisan sentiments, which sought to suggest the timing as wrong, and as not taking into account the hardships the nation was experiencing.

President Kufuor said, "At no time has Government overlooked the challenges that the critics have tended to overplay."

The history of how they took the decision to go ahead with its development, he said, should help to calm any anxieties that might be lingering anywhere in the country.

The First Lady, Theresa, Vice President Aliu Mahama, the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi Hughes, Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, the diplomatic community, Service Chiefs, traditional rulers representing all the 10 regions, and the clergy, were among those who attended.

President Kufuor described the inability to provide a congenial workplace and official residence for the first family as one of the serious omissions of the past 50 years.

He said since time immemorial all nations had tended to vest values and attributes to the seats of their Governments, be they monarchies or republics, and that those edifices "come to acquire spirituality and authority around which governance revolves."

Various people looked up to such places for national cohesion, aspirations and inspiration.

"What Ghana has always needed was not just the physical structure, which in any case must befit the image of the nation, but also a credible spiritual and psychological centre to inspire the self-confidence and clear identity of the national persona." "It must not be forgotten that the Osu Castle has not fulfilled and can never provide such a centre because it was physically and historically, purpose-built as a slaving outpost and indeed in many parts continues to bear the indelible scars and stigma of that inhuman trade of those times."

President Kufuor said a major attraction for using the site where it was built was the Flagstaff House, where Ghana's first President Dr Kwame Nkrumah and his family moved into when he saw that the Castle was unsuitable.

He said he was proud that the project had been extended to cover the restoration of the Flagstaff House, a heritage property that would enlighten the people about Dr Nkrumah and the history of "our nationhood" and Ghana's pivotal role in the Freedom Movement across the continent of Africa.

India's External Affairs Minister, Mr Anand Sharma, said the imposing Golden Jubilee House was a symbol of Ghana-India friendship and co-operation.

He re-affirmed his country's abiding commitment to work with Ghana in its development and wealth creation drive.

Already India was engaged with Ghana in the areas of Information Communication Technology (ICT), energy, agriculture and education. Mr Kwadwo Mpiani, Chief of Staff and Minister of Presidential Affairs, mentioned the different sections of the Complex as offices for the president, his advisers and staff, those of the Vice President, official residence for the President that can accommodate a visiting Head of State or Government, office space for both civil and public servants, a service building to house a clinic, restaurant, bank, post office and Fire Service. Additionally, there is the refurbished residence of Dr Nkrumah.

Kufuor to use Presidential Palace Afterall

President John Agyekum Kufuor is expected to move into the newly constructed Presidential Palace before his tenure in office ends.

Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, Minister of Information and National Orientation, who disclosed this on the Accra-based radio station, JOYFM.

Asamoah-Boateng could not however, tell the exact date the President would relocate from the Osu Christianborg Castle.

“Some of the staff would be moving in from today (Monday, November 10, 2008)…he (President) definitely would move in…certainly yes. I know for a fact,” he stressed.

The news that the President would in anytime soon run government’s business from the palace is in sharp contrast with an earlier assumption that he would not personally occupy the new seat of government - but the incoming president after the December polls.

Even though the government is yet to occupy the palace, Asamoah-Boateng said it would be used to transact government business immediately it is commissioned today.

Rancour from opposition parties met the government’s decision to construct the new seat of government; they argued that against the backdrop of ‘hardship’ in the country, the comfort of the president should not be the priority. The palace was built despite the stiff opposition.

Meanwhile the opposition National Democratic Congress is on the shoulders of the government demanding the cost of the project.

The Information Minister conceded he was not informed about the cost, but after enumerating a numbers of uses the palace would be put to, he rather entreated; “the value is what I think should occupy our minds today”, not the price.

Reminded that there were still some finishing touches to be done on the project, Asamoah-Boateng denied government was rushing to commission the palace just so President Kufuor would have a feel of it.

Utterly elated by the outcome of the project, he noted, the current seat of government is not suitable for the president.

The Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, said even though the party has criticised the wanton construction of the palace, its presidential candidate would use it when elected president.

“We will not make that mistake where they boycotted the use of the presidential jet…the fact that we are raising issues doesn’t mean that once state money has been used to construct that edifice it would not be used,” he explained.

He said the premature commissioning of the Presidential Palace raises some legal and contractual issues.

Meanwhile the Police Service has announced the redirection of traffic on all roads leading to the Flagstaff House to pave way for the official commissioning exercise.