Speaker of parliament assures of optimal use of Job 600 building
The Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho has assured Ghanaians that the House would ensure an optimal use and regular maintenance of the newly commissioned Job 600 Building complex, the offices for members of parliament.
Speaking at the commissioning of the 13-storey State House Tower Block (Job 600 Building), the Speaker made Biblical reference to Isaiah 58:12, and urged all stakeholders to do their best to maintain the facility.
Isaiah 58:12 reads: “Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
Calling the inauguration a landmark event, Mr Adjaho commended earlier speakers- the late Daniel Francis Annan, the late Peter Ala Adjetey; Mr Ebenzer Sekyi Hughes and Mrs Joyce Bamford Addo, for their successive roles that brought the project that far.
Mr Doe Adjaho reiterated the desire of the legislators to have office space for their work, saying “the completion is a culmination of a long awaited desire of the MPS.”
He painted a picture of MPs using the boots and bonnets of their vehicles as writing desks, and observed that, the completion of the facility which has 252 offices, had attracted huge respect in the community of the world’s parliaments.
The Majority and Minority Leaders, Alban Bagbin and Osei-Kyei-Mensa Bonsu respectively, gave thumbs up to the Leadership of the House for their role and the financial engineering that saw the completion of the project.
The commissioning was done by President John Mahama.
The building complex was constructed to serve as the venue for the 1965 meeting of the Organization of African Unity, but was renovated to facilitate parliamentary work.
The project which was postponed due to the creation of new constituencies, was initially estimated at 62.8 million dollars. In 2011, the estimate for renovating the building was adjusted upwards by 39 million dollars. The increased cost was due to inflation.
Source: GNA