The New Patriotic Party, (NPP), Member of Parliament for Okaikoi Central, Patrick Boamah has vehemently opposed the decision by Government acting through The Parliamentary Service Board, (PSB), to build a new Chamber Block for MPs’.
Addressing the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC) on the decision announced by The Speaker, Professor Mike Ocquaye to construct a multi-purpose Chamber, the NPP MP submited that the timing is is wrong, stressing that, “I belong to the executive, I’m an MP as well and my position is that, I don’t think the timing is right”.
According to him “Ghanaians have a lot of pressing needs that they want us to address which H.E Nana Addo is addressing.”
“I’ve a lot of challenges in my constituency, how do I answer them with this new Chamber issue? He asked.”
Mr. Boamah acknowledged that, The Constitution of Ghana has established Parliament and is been managed by an independent board but “there is time for everything, there are more pressing things that are we ought to look at as Parliament”.
“Now the public is not looking at it as a Parliamentary issue, they have taken it as a governmental issue”, he laments.
In a related development, Sam Okudjeto Ablakwa writes: “I do not think Parliament needs a new Chamber Complex.
If the views of all Members of Parliament were sought, I would have suggested we used some of those resources to beef up research staff of MPs who must be paid well in order to attract good calibre and construct simple MPs offices across the country to improve interactions with constituents as we have in other jurisdictions, especially at a time most constituents say they do not get to see their MPs.
Respectfully, I do hope Mr. Speaker will take a second look at this”.
Story by Edzorna Francis Mensah
