<<Print>>

A member of the New Patriotic Party�s communication team has chastised President John Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for questioning the expediency in erecting a befitting place for future Presidents and believes the president�s stay at the Flag Staff House will be �ephemeral�. Kwamena Duncan is of the firm opinion that President Mahama�s stay at the new seat of government will be a temporary one. He strongly foresees a possible change of government and believes the Supreme Court will rule in favour of the NPP regarding the petition the party has filed. President Mahama will be working at the Flagstaff House from today (Thursday) but will continue to live at the Osu Castle until the completion of work on his residence at the seat of government. The Flagstaff House, which was used by Ghana's first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, was reconstructed by the Kufuor administration to be used as the seat of government. The project, which was financed by an Indian loan and grant, was inaugurated just before the former president ended his term of office and renamed Jubilee House, but the NDC reverted the name to Flagstaff House after it took office in 2009. In that same year, however, part of it was handed over to the Foreign Affairs Ministry temporarily after its offices were razed down by fire. It has both office and residential accommodation for the president, the vice president and the supporting staff. However, the late former President John Evans Atta Mills did not use the edifice, citing security concerns. Speaking on Peace FM�s �kokrokoo� programme, Kwamena Duncan questioned why the NDC reproved President John Agyekum Kufour for putting up the edifice and calling it a misplaced priority but has now reverse its decision on the use of the facility.