I Care For You - Kufour Tells Parliamentarians

President John Agyekum Kufuor yesterday expressed his love and respect for the nation’s Parliamentarians when he jokingly told the House that “I care for you”. The expression is one which has lately characterized the campaign message of Professor John Evans Atta Mills, the presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). The use of the expression by the President drew great laughter from the audience, as he had never been heard using it in public. Delivering his 8th State of the Nation address since taking over the reins of power, President Kufuor reminded the 230 Parliamentarians that he was still mindful of his promise of renovating the "Job 600" structure, a storey building behind the Speaker's Block which was constructed in the 1960s, for them to use as offices. The President made the promise during his first State of the Nation address in 2000 when he said the project had delayed because a $25million loan contracted for its completion by the previous government had been misappropriated. Recalling the incident yesterday, President Kufuor said: "I was aware at the time of a loan facility of$25million waiting to be utilized. It was only later I learnt that the loan had been diverted to an apparently more urgent purpose by those who secured it. "But I am happy to report that fresh resources are in hand for the refurbishment of Job 600 for use by MPs. The Speaker is aware of what the Executive is doing for the Legislature." President Kufuor, a two-time former Member of Parliament, said since the Legislature played no small part in the drive for good governance, it should be given the necessary assistance to perform well. “How well-equipped the House is for its critical role must be of concern to all of us. It is indeed a shame that our MPs do not have adequate office room or staff to assist their work,” he stated. The President, who described the Castle, the seat of government, as "a former slave post", said since the building was unsuitable for residence for the country's leaders, there was the need to renovate existing ones originally built for that purpose. He mentioned the Flagstaff House, which housed Ghana's first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the Peduase, Akosombo and Akuse lodges, built as presidential retreats. "These are national assets that deserve better than the neglect to which they have been consigned to in the past," he indicated. Source: Crusading Guide