President John Dramani Mahama yesterday commissioned a new multipurpose chancery for the country’s mission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The four-storey property will serve as the official working space for Ghanaian mission staff in that country.
Construction of the facility began during President Mahama’s first term, about 10 years ago, but work stalled after his administration ended in 2017.
Work, however, resumed on the project last year following a visit to the project site by President Mahama after he had attended the 38th AU Summit.
The project, valued at $7.5 million, was affected by inflation due to the decade-long delay and was therefore completed at $9.8 million, as varied by the contractor.
Approval
President Mahama explained that the facility was part of projects approved by Cabinet and advanced by former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hanna Serwa Tetteh, to address the high rental costs of properties for the country’s missions abroad.
Front view of the newly inaugurated chancery in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
“We had a lot of land that we had not built on, and yet we were renting very expensive properties to house our chancery.
So, the Foreign Minister at the time, Hanna Tetteh, brought a paper to Cabinet and we approved it.
We chose SGSB Bank to be the lead financier.
“So, some money was allocated, and a chancery here in Ethiopia was one of those selected to have a permanent structure.
Many years later, when I came last year and realised the chancery building had still not been completed, I felt quite ashamed. But this is better late than never,” he said.
The President said that the government would undertake similar projects in other parts of the world where the state had secured land as part of measures to reduce rental costs.
Significance
President Mahama said that the facility would serve as Ghana’s mission to Ethiopia and a permanent mission to the AU.
“Everybody knows what the historic relations have been between Ghana and Ethiopia as founding members of the then OAU, which later became the AU.
“So, as one of our prominent diplomatic posts, it is only fitting that we have a chancery that reflects the importance of the relations between Ghana and Ethiopia,” he said.
The President also commended the Ethiopian government for its development trajectory, especially its capital, Addis Ababa, saying, “it truly qualifies as Africa’s capital city”.
Avoiding waste
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the government had taken steps to move away from rentals to owning properties to avoid waste.
He indicated that the government spent $15 million annually on rentals for foreign missions, an expenditure he said could not continue under the new administration.
Mr Ablakwa said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had therefore developed a new policy known as Strategic Transition from Rental to Infrastructure Development (STRIDE), to build and own properties in the name of the country in foreign missions.
The minister added that the commissioned chancery was a reflection of the government’s commitment to the realisation of STRIDE.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh