Bartels Justifies Castle Renovation Works

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Kwamena Bartels, yesterday laid bare before Parliament the facts surrounding the renovation of the Castle and the private residence of President Kufuor, at the Airport Residential Area.

He said whereas the previous NDC government was to have rehabilitated the Castle at an estimated cost of ?3.3 billion, the present government is doing the same job, based on the advice of the Architectural and Engineering Services Limited(AESL), at a cost of ?1.5 billion.

Mr Bartels was answering an urgent question which stood in the name of Alhaji Amadu Seidu, NDC Member for Yapei-Kusawgu, who wanted to know how much the state is spending on the rehabilitation of both the Castle and the private residence of President Kufuor.

The minister disclosed that the government has so far paid ?1,199,373,437 to six contractors working on the Castle. The contractors are M/S Axxess Limited, which has been paid ?200,000,000; M/S International Development Resources, ?455,000,000; M/S Monarch Windows Limited, ?102,750,000; M/S Carpet House Limited, ?114,623,423,437; M/S Kay-Kool Industries ?162,000,000 and M/S Absolute Limited, ?165,000,000.

The minister said the government has an outstanding balance of ?304,933,343 to pay the contractors. Asked why the renovation contract was not put on tender, the Minister said this was due to the little time available to the government to effect the renovations to enable the President to work in the Castle.

The AESL, therefore, recommended the six contractors to the ministry in view of the time frame. Mr Bartels explained that the deplorable state of disrepair that met the eye of even the ordinary visitor to The Castle made it prudent to temporarily relocate the offices of the President and the Vice-President at the State House.

''Mr Speaker, though the State House is not suitable as offices for the Presidency, it was the better alternative while the renovations at the Castle went on,'' he said.

The minister further said the AESL are the supervising consultants to the Castle renovations. When the minister was asked whether he wanted the Castle to be like the White House or the No. 10 Downing Street, in view of the fact that the country has gone HIPC, he replied that ''if we had money we would have gone very nearer to the White House''.

To another question as to whether those who won the contracts are not NPP sympathisers, the minister replied that the companies were selected by the AESL based on their track record.

''Mr Speaker, I will like to assure the House that those who won the contracts are not card-bearing members of the NPP''. Mr Bartels further declared: Mr Speaker, I find it flabbergasting, mind twisting and mind boggling to choose between our government's policy of zero-tolerance for corruption and what some members on the Minority side are saying about the nomination of contractors for the renovation works''.

He said the Norwegian experts who came down to assess the work on the Castle did not tender for the contract but to give technical expert advice on the structure of the Castle.

Mr Bartels gave the assurance that apart from the Castle which is the seat of government, at least 50 bungalows would be renovated before the end of the year. He said barring any hitch, the President would move to the Castle within the next three to four weeks.

The NDC members were, however, not convinced with the explanation given by the minister on the renovation of the President's private residence.

Though the minister told the House that the state is financing the external security lights, the renovation of the main gate which was damaged by the vehicle of a visitor, the levelling of a car park and the installation of barbed wire on the walls of the building to provide additional security for the President, some members of the Minority side did not take kindly to the fact that expenses were coming from state funds.

However, Mr Bartels insisted that all other works within the building were privately financed by the President and his family. Still not convinced, some Minority members wanted the Minister to mention the companies involved and how much has state has sunk into the rehabilitation of the President's private residence.

Mr Bartels replied that he was not prepared to mention the names of the contractors at the President's residence as well as the amount involved but that he would prefer laying the names of the contractors on the cover of confidentiality.

''Mr Speaker, we cannot compromise the security of the President'', the Minister said. However, some members of the NDC insisted that ''the President should be charged for using state funds to renovate certain portions of his private residence''.

The minister also insisted that the rehabilitation was very justified, considering the fact that the President was not taking rent from the state, for using his private residence.

The Minority said it was still not satisfied and invited the Minister to come back to the House to answer certain questions concerning the rehabilitation of the President's private residence.

Mr Bartels replied that he had no objection to coming back so long as the questions do not border on the security of the President and his family.