The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has warned its
Members of Parliament (MP) against supporting the proposed 450-seat
chamber.
The General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, said the
party is against the proposed construction of a new chamber for
legislators because they “do not think Ghana needs a new parliamentary
chamber at all”.
Mr Nketiah, who addressed the press at the party’s headquarters in
Accra on Thursday, 4 July 2019 said the party has communicated its
position to the Minority MPs and warned: “If you go to support it there
will be consequences”.
In a press release prior to the media encounter, the party said it
would be “unconscionable in the face of these challenges for President
Akufo-Addo to spend $200 million on a Parliamentary Chamber at a time
when one already exists and is serving the needs of Parliament.
Parliament only recently had the Job 600 project undertaken to provide
decent offices for MPs. We are unable therefore to appreciate the basis
upon which a new chamber should be built”.
The party emphasised that: “National resources must be channelled into
projects and expenditure that have a direct bearing on the lives of the
people not grandiose and prestige projects of doubtful relevance”.
The NDC wants President Akufo-Addo to “learn from the example of the
NDC that invested heavily in education, health, housing, communications,
water, roads transportation and other sectors which brought relief to
the people of Ghana. He must not subject the public purse which he
promised to protect”.
Social media – Facebook and Twitter – have been awash with harsh
criticism against the Ghanaian parliament and its leadership in
connection with the new proposed chamber.
The decision to build a new chamber has been met with intense opposition from Ghanaians as well as civil society groups.
Some lawmakers, especially from the Minority side, like the MP for
North Tongu, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa; Ras Mubarak, MP for Kumbungu;
and Tamale North MP Alhassan Suhuyini, have described the move as
needless.
Also, some lawmakers from the Majority side, including Samuel
Ayeh-Paye, Ayensuano; and Mr Patrick Boamah, Okaikwei Central, have also
said a new chamber is not necessary for now.
However, the Majority Leader of Parliament, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu,
who has been vocal in justifying the need for a new chamber, told
Accra-based Citi TV on Wednesday that: “Parliament, since independence,
is that one arm of government that has not had a purpose-fit facility
built for it, so, this is not a decision we are making today”.
He argued: “The reason the Board is considering this is because of the myriad challenges confronting the current chamber”.