Prez Mills Blows GH�121,443 On Flagstaff House Renovation

The current National Democratic Congress administration has spent a total of GH�121,443.71 on renovation works on the Flagstaff House (Presidential Palace), despite President John Evans Atta Mills� refusal to live or work from the plush edifice. Since taking office as President of Ghana, Prof. Mills has refused to live in the Presidential Palace built by his predecessor, John Kufuor. Despite a storm of public and opposition pressure, President Mills has consistently cited his personal safety as reason for his refusal to use the sprawling edifice. Yet, his government found it convenient to spend a total of GH�121,443.71 on renovation works on the property since taking office in January 2009. For instance, the government blew GH� 48,956.99 on what it called �fumigation of the entire edifice� which was built by his predecessor in defiance of opposition criticism and public uproar. The amount spent on fumigation alone translates into nearly 489, 560, 000 old Ghana cedis. The Minister for Water Resources Works and Housing, Hon Enoch Teye Mensah, gave details of the government�s expenditure on the sprawling edifice in Parliament on Wednesday. The Minister was responding to a question filed by the opposition Member of Parliament for Binduri, Hon Stephen Yakubu. The NPP MP wanted to know �what renovation works have been done at the Flagstaff House and how much from 2009 to date.� In response, the Minister said, �The cost of renovation works that have been carried out on the Flagstaff House from 2009 to 2011 is GH�121,443.71. The following is the breakdown of the works carried out and the amount involved: �A: Fumigation of the entire edifice: GH�48,956.99 �B: Maintenance and repair of Central air-condition systems (Water-Cooled Chillers): �GH�41,554.57 �C: Maintenance and servicing of Generators and minor renovation works on Electrical Fittings: GH�26,291.15 �D. Supply and Installation of Air-conditioners and �Rerouting of server rooms: GH� 4,641.00.� When quizzed as to why the government found it wise to pump huge funds from the national kitty into an edifice the President has refused to use, the Minister responded that the move was to keep the structural integrity of the Flagstaff House intact. Although President Mills holds occasional official meetings in the expansive edifice, he has resisted public pressure to move into the property, in keeping with his criticism of the Kufuor Administration�s decision to spend millions of tax cedi to put up the building after India provided initial funding for the structure through a $30 million grant. Currently, the only full-time occupants of part of the structure are staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who relocated official business there after ferocious fire razed down the original offices of the Ministry some two years ago.