Bagbin Urges Executive to Release Land for New Parliament House
Speaker Alban Bagbin urges the Executive to allocate land near State House for a permanent Parliament House to strengthen legislative independence.
- Bagbin emphasizes that operating as tenants at the State House limits Parliament’s efficiency and independence.
- Parliament is piloting an electronic voting system to improve decision-making processes.
- Previous attempts to build a new chamber in 2019 were suspended after public and Minority opposition.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has called on the Executive to release a parcel of land near the State House for the construction of a dedicated Parliament House, emphasizing the need for a permanent facility to house Ghana’s Legislature.
Speaking at the launch of Parliament’s Corporate Strategic Plan for 2026–2030 on Thursday, February 12, Mr. Bagbin noted that Parliament continues to operate as a tenant at the State House, a situation he described as restrictive and unsuitable for an independent arm of government.
“We have been crying, and I hope you will support us so that at least we should be liberated from being tenants of the State House to our own premises as an arm of government,” he said, pointing to infrastructural constraints that limit parliamentary efficiency.
He highlighted challenges such as limited access to certain State House facilities, including the banquet hall, which require payment for use, further complicating parliamentary operations.
To improve decision-making, the Speaker revealed that Parliament is piloting an electronic voting system. “We are starting with a pilot for e-voting, and we believe it will ease the struggles in decision-making within the House,” he said.
While efforts have been made to modernize existing facilities, Mr. Bagbin stressed that the current infrastructure remains inadequate and urged the Executive to release land for a permanent Parliament complex. He argued that establishing a dedicated parliamentary facility would reinforce the independence and operational efficiency of Ghana’s Legislature.
The call echoes earlier efforts in 2019 by the former NPP government to construct a new Parliamentary chamber, a plan that faced strong opposition from the Minority in Parliament and civil society groups, leading to the #DropTheChamber protest and the eventual suspension of the project.
