It was lack of common sense to allow Indians construct Jubilee House - Spio-Garbrah

The decision by the government of Ghana to allow Indians to construct the Jubilee House, the seat of the presidency was senseless, Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah has posited.

For him, the decision was a bad one and questioned if we did not have contractors and architects at the time to build the seat of government.

He made the remarks on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM and said: “it was lack of common sense to allow Indians to build the Jubilee House. It was an insult to our architects and contractors in Ghana.”

He was speaking against the decision by government to always allow foreign companies to manage projects in the country when we equally have competent people in Ghana to do same.

The edifice which serves as office for the president of Ghana was financed and constructed by the India government with $135 million in 2009.

According to the consultants the project covers an area of 16,750sqm, consisting of a ‘presidential and vice presidential offices, the president’s palace, ceremonial public spaces and allied service buildings.’

The cost of the project, which was originally estimated at 36.9 million dollars, was said to have shot up with the provision of additional facilities to enhance external and internal security.

The amount was part of a $60m facility that has a 50 per cent grant element, at an interest rate of 1.75 percent, repayable in 25 years, including a five-year moratorium. Shapoorji Pallonji of India is undertaking the construction of the project, which started in 2006.

Clean the System and encourage Incisive governance

If elected president, the aspirant will clean the system and empower Ghanaians to manage government contracts, and also put in place measures to cut down massively on imports in order to grow the local economy and strengthen the local currency.

Dr. Spio-Garbrah also said it is nonsense for us as a nation to keep practicing the winner takes all system of governance all in the name of satisfying our political party interest.

He promised to open up his government to seek knowledge and opinions from Ghanaians through what he has termed, “national revolution of thinking”.

Ghana needs organization, leadership and coordination to transform and that is what I will provide if elected as president, he concluded.