Your MPs don’t even show up at work and you want a new chamber? – Ghanaians quiz Speaker, MPs

It’s completely erroneous to think of investing huge sums of money into building a new parliamentary chamber for Members of Parliament who even fail to show up at work on some occasions; this is the posturing of a section of Ghanaians.

More reactions from the public point to the fact that Ghanaians are enraged, to say the least about a proposed $200 million 450-capacity chamber for the country’s law making institution.

Majority of them are awed about the rationale behind the proposed facility, particularly when there are other more important needs of citizens; the likes of portable water, classroom blocks, employment etc.

According to them, building a parliamentary chamber in this current economic hardship state is unnecessary.

One of the interviewees who spoke to GhanaWeb said, “Speaker of parliament always complain that the MPs don’t show up at work and the place is always empty and they want a spacious one for what? They should brush that decision aside if not, they wouldn’t like what will happen next”.

Others also said it would be profitable if government uses that huge sum of money to fix deplorable roads in the country, provide potable water, create employment among other beneficial projects in the country.

Another said, “We are going through tough times now. When it comes to potable water there’s a problem. Why should they ignore these problems and rather build a parliament house? They should fix our bad roads, build more schools, hospitals and overheads”.

These comments by some Ghanaians come after parliamentarians have considered building a new ultramodern chamber to serve lawmakers, stating that, the current 275 chambers cannot house them, neither is it spacious enough.

Last week Friday, Parliamentary Service Board received an architectural design for the new chamber from Ghanaian architect, David Frank Adjaye who is said to be the designer of the National Cathedral.

The new facility, when constructed, will consist of a 450-seater chamber, a chapel, mosque, restraint and a parliamentary museum.