President John Kufuor of Ghana on Monday 10th November 2008 unveiled a presidential complex expected to serve both as office and official residence of the president and the vice president. The government announced the president's staff would be moving into the new complex today in preparation for President Kufuor's arrival before the end of his second term. And within it we have the Nkrumah heritage house, which is the old flagstaff house that housed the first president and his family and now has been turned into heritage, where we would exhibit some of the monuments and things that we used to have. The structure is built with the cooperation of the government and the people of India and Ghana government money.
The cost of the complex is yet unknown. The project was originally estimated to cost 36.9 million dollars but with the provision of added facilities to enhance external and internal security as advised by the Security Services, it is now expected to go up. It was undertaken with an Indian concessionary loan that has a 50 per cent grant element and an interest rate of 1.75 percent, repayable in 25 years, including a five-year moratorium. Indian contractors Shapoorji Pallonji undertook the project. The construction works started in 2006.
The executive complex has been named 'GOLDEN JUBILEE HOUSE'. The construction site which used to house the first president of Ghana from July 1, 1960 has been called Flagstaff House until this change. The name Golden Jubilee House has attracted mixed reactions from cross section of Ghanaians.
Do not be mistaken into thinking that the name 'Golden' has anything to do with the country's richest natural resource to date, gold, after which the country used to be called the Gold Coast. Or even the Asante kingdom's soul, the 'Golden Stool'. The edifice's name is to commemorate the nation's 50th independence anniversary. Ghana then Gold Coast is the first nation south of the sahara to gain her independence on March 7, 1957 from the Great Britain. Thus by March 7, 2007, the country attained her golden jubilee. Some people are of the view that the name is time bound and could become irrelevant very soon. They further argue that it is too long and might difficult be for majority of the nation's large illiterate population to pronounce or mention. For such people, to maintain the old name Flagstaff House would have been the best. Some others also suggest the name 'Gye Nyame House' (i.e. to wit literally translates as 'except God') while others prefer 'Black Star House'. I personally would have been overjoyed if the name 'Ghana Ahenfie' (i.e. to wit literally translates as 'Ghana's Palace'). So what name would you suggest for the executive complex or building? Let your views be heard afterall the present Ako Adjei Interchange used to be called Thomas Sankara Interchange by the previous government until the current administration decided to change it and name it after one of the 'Big Six'.
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