Crows blamed for Job 600 leakage

The Office of Parliament has blamed the leakage of the Job 600 office complex for MPs, on crows.

The roof of the edifice leaks anytime it rains. Acting Director of Public Affairs for Parliament, Kate Addo, said they realised the leakage from last Thursday after it rained on that day.

"...We found that there is a particular sealant that they are using, which attracts crows. When the crows perch there, they chip at the sealant," she told Class News' parliamentary correspondent Ekow Annan in an interview.

She said contractors are fixing the leakage. With regards to faulty elevators in the complex, Kate Addo said some parts of two of the six, are being replaced. "Two of them have parts being replaced, so, for over a week now, those two have not worked," she explained.

She also said the contractors had told her the scanners were turned off for maintenance purposes. The Job 600 office complex was rehabilitated and refurbished by the China State Hualong Construction Company Ltd.

It was inaugurated on November 7, 2015, by President John Mahama.

The post-independence structure was commissioned by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana, in 1965.

It was constructed to serve as the venue for the 1965 meeting of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) at an estimated cost of more than £4million.

Dr Nkrumah believed the building would showcase Ghana as a country with the potential and ability to host international events, and a demonstration of Africa's growing technical capabilities.

However, the building was left to deteriorate for years due to Ghana’s poor maintenance culture.

In 2007, the John Kufuor administration secured a loan facility of 25 million dollars from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) for the renovation of the structure.

The cost of the project was initially estimated at 62.8 million dollars. In 2011, the estimate for renovating the building was adjusted upwards by 39 million dollars. The increased cost was due to inflation.

In addition to the original 1965 structure, the new Job 600 has two new blocks built behind it. One of the new blocks serves as an auditorium while the other houses restaurants, a fire station, a gym, and banks. The complex consists of 252 offices for members of parliament and offices for research assistants and secretaries.