Old Parliament House has not been demolished-CHRAJ

Head of the  Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice, CHRAJ, Joseph Whittal, has dismissed media reports the Old Parliament House has been demolished to make way for the development of new facilities. 

There were media reports suggesting that the building, which once served as home for Ghana’s administrative operations, was mauled down by a private construction firm at the behest of the commission after permission had been sought from the AMA. 

Construction firm Cymain Ghana Limited, the firm undertaking the exercise, started pulling down the structures over the weekend. 

But that has generated negative reactions from a section of the public who wondered how a monument which remains part of the country’s dealings with Britain could be demolished, especially when it remains a historical artifact and should be preserved. 

Former Deputy Tourism Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie, who raised serious concerns about the demolishing, said the country cannot “pretend” to be prom Tourism, Culture and the Creative Arts and not be promoting and preserving our Cultural Heritage, but still go ahead to pull down such an edifice.  

"Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and Intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations..." they should not be pulled down. They should be protected for posterity,” she said. 

AMA  Boss Mohammed Adjei Sowah, who expressed surprise at the development, said the commission wrote to them about their intention to demolish the structure but they wrote back, asking them to protect the property because is a “national asset” and it is important clearance is sought from government. 

He said he was surprised by the development but will be meeting with the appropriate authorities for the needed answers to be given.  

But Mr. Whittal told CitiFm the old facility has not been pulled down. He said the chamber and some structures around it are those that are no more, because of the “danger” they pose to the safety of the commission’s staff. 

According to him, they wrote to the AMA around June for permission to be given for them to go ahead with the exercise, so does not see what they did wrong. 

He added that the architectural firm, ASL, advised any delay in not pulling down the structure will be detrimental to even the public.

www.primenewsghana.com/ Ghana News