New chamber is to protect Akufo-Addo, Speaker from assassination attack - Majority leader

Majority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu  has explained the security of the President and of Parliament the speaker of parliament are some of the reasons that necessitated the proposed new chamber.

Justifying the plan to build the new chamber, the Member of Parliament for Suame and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs said the proposed the current chamber makes it difficult for most Members of Parliament to get the attention of the Speaker.

Ghana’s parliament is considering building a new ultramodern chamber to serve the lawmakers.

The Parliamentary Service Board has already received the architectural model for the new chamber from renowned Ghanaian architect David Frank Adjaye, the same designer of the National Cathedral.

The decision, however has been met with intense opposition from Ghanaians as well as civil society groups.

But Mr Kyei Mensah Bonsu explained that the proposed 450 chamber would be used on occasions of swearing in of a new President instead of the usual Black Stars square due to its security features.

“Under normal circumstance we should swear in a new President in Parliament like we did for former President Kufuor. But with the current chamber, anything can happen especially in this era of terrorist threats. You can imagine [God forbid] if anyone aims and shoots at the President. You can imagine what we will find ourselves in,” he said

“You see where the Press corps sit, they sit at the top of the Speaker. That is dangerous. Anyone could jump onto the speaker or pour acid on him” he added.