President moves into Flagstaff House

Thursday, February 7, 2013

By Edmund Mingle

The seat of government will today officially move from the Castle, Osu to the Flag Staff House Kanda.

 The movement will complete the phased relocation of the Presidency from the Castle to the new presidential edifice.

The frontage of the Flagstaff House, the new seat of government.

 A short ceremony has been planned commemorate the movement to the Flag Staff House, which was first occupied by the Vice President, Kwesi Amissah-Arthur

The edifice, which has been shrouded in controversy, was built by the New Patriotic Party government.

 After the National Democratic Congress government took office in 2009, the late former President Mills could not occupy it because of defects in the building and security concerns.

 He also used the building for ceremonial diplomatic events, while part of the building was temporarily given to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following the gutting of its multi-storey office.

After taking office, President John Mahama set up a committee to work on the structural defects and the security concerns, to allow the full utilization of the edifice.

Before the Vice President moved in as part of a phased relocation, stringent efforts were made to address the structural defects, while security was beefed up in and around the structure.

The staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are expected to soon move out to their new building near the Kotoka International Airport to provide adequate office pace for the Presidential Staffers and support staff.

According to Mahama Ayariga, the President will not be residing in the Flagstaff House, but only conduct official government business there.

He said that government would make indications later should the President decide to inhabit the presidential residence attached to the office.