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General News of Sunday, July 7th, 2019
Source: starrfm.com.gh
2019-07-07
The proposed new chamber
A lobby group, Ghana's Dynamic Youth Movement (DYMOG), has asked the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the possible violation of human rights. procurement procedures when appointing Adjaye and Associates as consultants for the construction of the new 450-seat Parliamentary Chamber.
The decision to build a new House of Parliament at a cost of $ 200 million sparked a huge public outcry that resulted in a campaign on social networks called #DropThatChamber.
A number of civil society organizations, including the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and the OccupyGhana lobby group, have condemned this idea, describing it as a "misplaced priority".
The Ghanaian parliament plans to build a new state-of-the-art chamber for lawmakers. The Council of Parliamentary Services has already received the architectural model of the new room of the famous Ghanaian architect David Frank Adjaye, the same designer of the National Cathedral.
The 450-seat room will include a chapel, a mosque, a restaurant and a museum. The current chamber has 275 seats of deputies.
In a petition, DYMOG said it decided to trigger this action because "it appears that the details of the entire project and the procurement process are surrounded by secrets, so that key stakeholders such as Members of Parliament were completely unaware of the project until the unveiling ceremony. "
The petition signed by the executive head, Edward Tuttor, added that "it is possible that the Public Procurement Act 2016 (amended), Law 914, was violated during the procurement process. ".
Among many other requests, DYMOG asked CHRAJ "to establish whether or not the substantive contract for the construction of the new 450-seat parliamentary chamber block was awarded. to whom, at what cost and from which source of funding? "
The group also requests that the proceedings of the inquiry be broadcast live on national television so that the public can follow them.
Below the complete petition of DYMOG
Commissioner,
Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ),
Accra.
Commissioner,
THE 2016 APPOINTMENT OF ASSOCIATES AND APPOINTMENT ACT AS CONSULTANTS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW 450 PLACE PARLIAMENTARY PARLIAMENTARY SPEECH AND OTHER MATTERS
We, the Dynamic Youth Movement of Ghana (DYMOG), defend the public interest by invoking the jurisdiction of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) on the basis of the 39, Article 218 (a) and (e) of the 1992 Constitution to investigate and establish all relevant facts regarding the construction of a new 450-seat parliamentary bloc block.
On Friday, June 28, 2019, the Parliament's leadership officially unveiled the architectural design of a new block of 450-seat parliamentary chambers. During the ceremony, an excerpt from the speech by the Speaker of the Parliament was: "… in fact, we had launched a bidding process putting three architectural firms in competition. Two companies from Ghana, two companies from abroad … The Institution of Engineers was tasked with doing an badysis and presenting a report, one of which was extremely favorable to those that had been chosen. So we are moving forward … "In fact, the appointed consultant is Adjaye and Associates, whose delegation of officials was present at the ceremony to brief the media on the design and the project.
On Thursday, July 4, 2019, the Hon. Governor Kwame Agbodza, Member of Parliament of Adaklu constituency and member of the Tenders Committee of Entities on Citi Fm's Eye Witness News said: "… as far as I am concerned Regarding, it is not possible to appoint David Adjaye as a consultant for this project. simply because the European Parliament's tendering committee is not aware of it or at least I do not know it … "
On Friday, July 5, 2019, the majority and minority leaders declared in parliament on the same issue that "……. The supply and finances of the project remained inconclusive … "a few days after the start of the public outcry sparked by the campaign. nicknamed #DropThatChamber.
WE, at Ghana's Dynamic Youth Movement, have decided to trigger this action for the following reasons:
1. According to the speech made by the Presidents on Friday, June 28, 2019 (inauguration ceremony), the testimony of the Hon. Governor Kwame Agbodza in the media and the submission of the leaders of the majority and the minority Friday, July 5, 2019, there seems to be a flagrant inconsistency, especially in the process of supplying the project.
2. It seems that the details of the entire project and the procurement process are surrounded by secrecy, so that key stakeholders such as members of parliament were not aware of the project until the unveiling ceremony.
3. It is possible that the amended Public Procurement Law No. 914 of 2016 was violated during the procurement process.
4. More importantly, the insufficient openness and lack of commitment of stakeholders (MPs, general public and civil society) prior to the unveiling ceremony may be motivated by pure impulse and simple key players to satisfy the "personal interests" of the public. process up to now.
In the public interest, the Ghana Youth Movement urges the Commission to study and establish the following elements:
1. In accordance with Articles 20, 66 and Annex 1B of the Public Procurement Law No. 1414 (amended) of 2016, determines whether or not the Parliamentary Entity Selection Committee has been acquitted of his legally mandated task by appointing Adjaye and Associates as the construction of the new 450-seat parliamentary bloc.
2. From here the approved budget for 2019 for parliamentary service and the appropriations bill for 2019, it is clearly established how the whole process leading to the appointment of Adjaye and Associates as consultants for the new 450-seat parliamentary bloc was financed and at what cost.
3. Establish clearly how the final or unveiled architectural design of the new 450-seat parliamentary chamber block was developed, the cost of the process and its funding.
4. Finally, determine whether the substantive contract for the construction of the new 450-seat parliamentary bloc has been awarded. If so, by what process, to whom, at what cost and from which source of funding?
5. We humbly and respectfully request that the proceedings of this inquiry be broadcast live on national television so that the public can follow them.
We hope that this investigation will put an end to this case. Thank you.
On behalf of the Ghana Youth Movement,
Edward's guardian
Executive Manager
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