Rashid Pelpuo
THE GOVERNING National Democratic Congress (NDC) is blowing a sum of ¢2.17 billion or GH¢210,000 on each office for all the Members of Parliament across the country, an expenditure the minority caucus has described as outrageous.
The total amount expected to be sunk in the 230 MPs is ¢483billion (GH¢48.3million)
Minority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu queried the use of such a colossal amount on one office that could be used to build a three-bedroom house in any part of the country.
The extravagant expenditure is seen as part of inflated costs of projects, including construction of classroom blocks across the country, by the ruling NDC.
It would be recalled that Deputy Education Minister Mahama Ayariga had directed Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to build three basic schools in Bawku Central Constituency in the Upper East Region, where his was re-launching his parliamentary ambition, at a total cost of GH¢895,000.
Two of the three projects are estimated to cost GH¢325,000 each, with the third costing GH¢245,000.
The GETFund administrator, Sam Garba, had described the expenditure as indefensibly and outrageously expensive, insisting they were completely in discord with standard costs for projects with those specifications.
He reminded the deputy minister of a stakeholders’ meeting at which they agreed that a standard price of GH¢150,000 should be the cost of a six-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities, based on all adopted designs.
Parliament on Friday approved a loan facility of GH¢50 million for the construction of offices for MPs in fulfillment of a promise made by late President Atta Mills over three years ago.
Government was standing as a guarantor for the credit agreement between Sino Africa Development Company Limited and Fidelity Bank Limited for the amount of GH¢50 million for the construction and furnishing of constituency offices for MPs.
A report of joint committee of Finance and the House, signed by James Klutse Avedzi and Alhaji Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo, Chairman of Finance Committee and Deputy Majority Leader respectively, gave the components of the offices.
Each constituency office would include entrance terrace, reception, MP’s office, two washrooms for MP and visitors, store room, meeting room, kitchenette, lobby and additional store room for archives.
Notwithstanding the components, Minority Leader Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is also the MP for Suame, believed the construction of the offices was too expensive, requesting government to do something about the costs.
Deputy Majority Leader Alhaji Rashid Pelpuo indicated the House Committee would provide effective oversight over the project to ensure the offices were built “to the highest level of quality and timeliness”.
Meanwhile, Parliament last Friday approved the supplementary estimate/budget of GH¢2,613,407,346.00 as additional budgetary allocation for government’s expenditure of the 2012 fiscal year.
By Awudu Mahama
