Parliament to engage experts for modern chamber - Speaker

The Parliamentary Service has given approval to the idea for the House to have a new modern Chamber, Speaker Professor Michael Oquaye has revealed.

He said, the current Chamber has reached a structural capacity to accommodate further expansion. The expansion he said will have ‘’a modern Chamber with bigger capacity and facilities that will help Parliament discharge its mandate with dignity.’’

‘’The Parliamentary Service Board has given approval to the idea and we shall soon advertise for prospective consultants to help us with a befitting design that will stand the test of time. Avery good contractor will subsequently be selected using laid down processes.’’

He further lamented over the encroachment of Parliament lands.

‘’…it is sad to noted that most of Parliament lands in prime areas of the city of Accra are being encroached upon or been have illegally taken over by some corporate entities. The Parliamentary Service Board has taken very serious view of the development and requested the Department of Development of Parliamentary Service to as a matter of urgency, undertake an audit of all Parliamentary lands and report to the Speaker’s Office s that we can recover those encroached on as well as get proper titles to those that are untitled.’’

He also appealed to legislators to bear with the inconvenience that the ongoing works of the partial roofing following the rip-off of the roof of the House during a heavy downpour some few months ago.

The contractor he said have been informed of the urgency of the work and also, the need to plan the work in order not to affect plenary sittings of the House.

He made the remarks at the opening of the second meeting of the seventh parliament of the fourth republic on Tuesday 30th May, 2017.