Presidential Palace is Ready

The presidential palace constructed to house winner of the December 7 general elections in Ghana is ready and would be commissioned Monday November 10, 2008, but the total cost of the project is unknown.The multi-million dollar Presidential Complex was reconstructed from the famous Flagstaff House, which served as residence for Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

According to Citi News sources, government has begun giving out invitation cards to a selected group of dignitaries to attend the formal opening of the presidential complex. President John Agyekum would perform the opening ceremony of the reconstructed complex which consists of a residency and offices. The project cost over $50 million. Despite opposition from the minority in parliament and others, government went ahead with the project.

Information available to Citi News says that a senior member of the government of India is expected to arrive in Accra to attend the ceremony. India supported the project with over $30 million. The opposition in Parliament however is demanding full disclosure of the total amount of money expended on the project. The opposition wants to know how much of Ghanaian tax payers’ money was put into the project. In July 2008, the Chief of Staff and Minister for Presidential Affairs, Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani told parliament that the cost of the project at the beginning was $36.9 million. He however said the total cost of the project can only be known on completion. Mr. Alfred Agbesi, MP for Ashaiman, and Minority Spokesman on Legal Matters is unhappy about the fact that the complex was being commissioned without Parliament and the people of Ghana knowing exactly how it cost the government to put up the building.

Mr. Agbesi who demanded to know the total cost of the project at the time of commissioning in Parliament was asked to put in an urgent question instead, which he did. He is hopeful that the question would be fielded on Monday, November 10, 2008. Meanwhile, Citi News Parliamentary Correspondent, Richard Sky says a number of Minority MPs have told him that they would not be attending the ceremony.