300 units of STX housing projects for MPs - Vice President

Accra, April 6, GNA - Government would allocate 300 units of the STX housing project to Members of Parliament (MPs), Vice President John Dramani Mahama has announced.

He said the move would not only bring all the legislators to the same area and environment but it would also protect them from criminal attacks that they experience in their current scattered homes in Accra, the nation's capital city.


Vice President Mahama announced this when Dr William F. Shija, Secretary-General of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, called on him at the Castle, Osu.


The Secretary General was there to find out the performance of the executive arm of government and also to explore areas that the Association could learn from Ghana's democracy.


The Vice President said apart from residential accommodation, government was also working on the 93Job 600 project" to provide adequate office accommodation for all MPs in the coming years. He said although Ghana's Parliament was touted as a model in Africa, the representation of women in the legislature was still woefully inadequate because of the competitive nature.


Vice President Mahama expressed hope that the Constitutional Review Committee would come out with workable modalities that would in future increase the slots for women in the house.

Dr Shija commended Ghana for their bid to establish Ghana Parliament Institute adding that his outfit would avail some funding for the project to materialise.


He said the establishment of the Institute would also help other African countries to strengthen their democratic processes as procedures and methodologies of parliamentary issues would be amply taught in the institute.


Mr Shija said the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association would also make recommendations on the representation of women in African parliaments for study and possible adoption, to increase the number of women in Parliament.


"In Tanzania, 33 per cent of seats are reserved for women and it is obligatory for them and I hope other African countries will come out with other proposals that will favour women in their fight for representation in parliament."