Acting Director of Public Affairs of Parliament, Kate Addo has revealed that Parliament is no longer pursuing its agenda of constructing a new chamber.
The proposed chamber, which parliamentary leaders hoped to build within three years, was expected to cost US$200 million. They argued that the present chamber in State House was not fit for purpose because it lacks adequate facilities and poses certain security risks.
However, this was met with strong hostility from the public who felt the money can be channeled into something more useful.
On Monday's edition of Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', Madam Kate Addo said even though there is a need for a new chamber if Ghanaians are against it, 'we are not going to continue'.
"There is no chamber to drop because it is not going ahead . . . plans have not been concluded that it was going to be built. The discussions were now starting. We may have put the cart before the horse and there is nothing wrong admitting it. . . . Because of the concerns in the public domain, parliament is not going to go ahead with the chamber and that parliament was waiting for Speaker to brief him on this things . . . we were thinking that it was a very lofty idea, obviously it didn’t go down well with people, we are ready to accept, but it doesn’t mean the need was or is not there; it's just that it is not one of the things Ghanaians are looking for now."
Kate Addo, however, indicated that the "decision to drop this idea did not come from government; parliament is an independent arm."
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