3rd July 2019

Rt. Hon. Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye,
Speaker of Parliament of the Republic of Ghana
Attn: HE President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

PETITION
“CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW PARLIAMENTARY CHAMBER”
Mr. Speaker,
We, the undersigned, are citizens of the Republic of Ghana who are concerned with the welfare of our native land.
On March 18, 2017, we were informed via numerous media reports, that plans were underway to construct a new 400-seater Parliamentary Chamber. The Honourable Speaker of Parliament was quoted by Graphic.Com.Gh as having stated that feasibility studies for the building were already being carried out by Shapoorji Pallonji, an Indian Construction Company.
Again, on 1st July 2019, the Honourable Speaker of Parliament was quoted by MyJoyOnline.Com as stating that Sir David Frank Adjaye’s firm, Adjaye and Associates, had been selected to work as architects on the project and that the Government of Ghana had committed itself to some funding towards this project and would also seek external funding.
Additionally, MyJoyOnline.Com quoted the Honourable Speaker of Parliament as confirming that “the president has agreed in principle to come and cut the sod for the project” and further, quoted both the Majority and Minority Leaders of Parliament as expressing support for the project.
Our specific issues with this construction project are as follows:
a. Government’s commitment towards some funding for this project means that money from Ghana’s coffers that could be used to solve other challenges will instead be used to construct a new building for Parliament.
Ghana faces a plethora of issues that, in our humble estimation, are more pressing and to which the money for this project could be better allocated including but not limited to children schooling under trees, communities without access to potable water, sanitation challenges predominantly in urban areas, maternal mortality and access inequalities so far as affordable healthcare is concerned.
b. Seeking external funding, from other countries or development partners, towards this project, will bulk up Ghana’s already substantial external debt and/ or cause Ghanaians to be saddled with an onerous loan or grant conditions.
c. Ghana already has a fully functioning Parliament Chamber that can be repaired and/ or refurbished to deal with any wear and tears that may have accumulated over the years. Since 2015, various amounts of money have been allocated towards infrastructure related to Parliament including the refurbishment of the current House including the replacement of furniture and the construction of the State Tower Block (Job 600 Building) and its annex.
For the sake of providing the people of Ghana with good stewardship, we believe that all these investments and infrastructure should be put to good use and completely exhausted before additional Parliamentary buildings, impacting the Public Purse, are erected.
Action Step
Based on all the above, we request that all budgeting, contracting, construction, planning, feasibility studies, procurement, tender, and allocation processes, as well as other groundwork currently being undertaken and related to the construction of a new chamber for Parliament cease with immediate effect. We further request that Government and Parliament issue a declaration to the good citizens of Ghana that this project has been indefinitely discontinued.
SIGNED
RASHEEDA ADAMS
KUUKUWA ANDAM
YAKUBU T. YUSUF
QUUQUA AIDOO
NUONG FAALONG
BILKIS NUHU
MABEL AKU BANESEH
ESINAM OSEI
KUUKUWA MANFUL
MANASSEH
DEREK LARYEA


2 Million March

The Parliament of Ghana is proposing to build a new Parliamentary chamber, to house Members of Parliament.
Now usually, this shouldn’t be news or protest-worthy. However, we live in our country with poor healthcare and educational systems, a country whose road networks is reproachable, a country where most people live under the minimum wage. Children still study under trees; Potable water is a luxury in many places in Ghana.

Also, taking into account Ghana’s total public debt, which now stands at US$38.9 billion, GHC2 billion shy of GHC200 billion as of March 2019, we strongly believe that Parliament’s decision to procure a $200million dollar loan from India to finance the project is not in the interest of Ghanaians.

For this reason, we call on all well-meaning Ghanaians to rise up and fight for generations unborn by saying NO to the proposed Parliamentary chamber for Members of Parliament.

We are impressing on Parliament to cease all budgeting, contracting, construction, planning, feasibility studies, procurement, tender, and allocation processes, as well as other groundwork currently being undertaken and related to the construction of a new chamber for Parliament cease with immediate effect. We further request that Government and Parliament issue a declaration to the good citizens of Ghana that this project has been indefinitely discontinued.