Drivers of MPs get decent ‘office’ in Parliament House

The period where drivers of Members of Parliament (MPs) lament over lack of conducive place to sit and wait for their bosses after dropping them at the House of Legislature is now a thing of the past.

This follows the construction and commissioning of a new facility to support the Chamber Services called the ‘Chamber Support Services Block.’

It is a three-storey building with over 20 offices for staff of the Parliamentary Service and drivers’ waiting centre – a novelty.

The drivers’ waiting centre consists of one office, a reception area, 60 to100-seater area for drivers, an eating area, a snack bar and a washroom (male/female).

Again, there is a visitors’ waiting centre, which consists of one office, a reception area, 250-seater waiting area, an eating area, a snack bar and a washroom (male/female).

Aside from the above, the three-storey annex also has two meeting rooms, three kitchenettes, four washrooms, one kitchen, connection into the Chamber Block and the old administration block from all three levels, three large storage rooms, electrical panel room (serving the Chamber, Speaker’s Block, the old and new administration blocks and the Drivers’ and Visitors’ Waiting Centre).

That notwithstanding, MPs who did not get offices at the main Job 600, which became topical at the beginning of this Parliament, would have some respite as a six-storey building has been constructed as an annex to the main.

The Job 600 Annex is a six-storey building with 54 offices (9 on each floor), 36 offices for research assistants, nine kitchenettes, nine washrooms- one per floor for males, females and persons with disability, two convenience shops, one financial facility, a 150-seater multi-purpose hall with a media room,11 offices for supporting staff and archives at the basement.

The buildings were constructed under the Parliament House Physical Infrastructure Enhancement Project, which forms part of measures aimed at addressing, comprehensively, the gaps in infrastructure faced by Parliament over the years.

The grounding for these projects took place on 22^nd February 2018, and has been completed within schedule.

On Tuesday, a brief ceremony was held at the forecourt of the Job 600 Annex at Parliament House, to commission these facilities.

The House had the pleasure of the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, commissioning the new the facilities.

Commissioning the Project, President Akufo-Addo applauded the Rt. Hon. Speaker, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, the Leadership of Parliament and the Parliamentary Service Board for ensuring that these projects were completed within schedule.

Delivering his remark, the President noted that if Ghana is to be successful in deepening her democracy, there must be a true separation of powers between the various arms of government.

This, he stressed, requires that the adequate resourcing of Parliament with the requisite infrastructure and logistics to help it function effectively.

“That is why the Government of Nana Akufo-Addo, since its assumption of office on 7^th January, 2017 has increased cumulatively the budgetary allocation to the House by 56.6% and has committed itself to supporting the Parliamentary Service Board to initiate and implement various projects necessary for the efficient work of the Legislature,” the President said.

Indeed, after the refurbishment in 2015 of the State House Tower Block, popularly referred to as “Job 600” building, not all Members of Parliament could be accommodated in the building. To remedy the situation for the unlucky MPs and also to meet other physical infrastructural needs of the House, Government took up the challenge to provide the requisite finances to support Parliament in undertaking the Physical Infrastructure Enhancement Project.

“You can, therefore, understand my delight at being here today to inaugurate these important office facilities which would provide MPs and staff of the Parliamentary Service with adequate, well-equipped work spaces to enable them perform their functions in a conducive environment.”

The President urged the Parliamentary Service Board to put in place the requisite mechanisms, including the necessary facility management arrangements, to ensure the regular maintenance of these newly constructed buildings, as well as all existing edifices.

The Speaker of Parliament, Prof Aaron Michael Oquaye expressed the gratitude of Parliament to the President for the increase in allocation to the House, but like Oliver Twist, he was hopeful more could be added.

The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, urged the President to help secure lands belonging to Parliament which have or are being encroached on.

The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu on his part said “the parliament of Ghana is proposing that the swearing-in of the president-elect should be done in the present precincts of parliament as it happened during the first inauguration of President Agyekum Kufuor.”

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