Debate over seat of gov't settled; Jubilee House gazetted

No administration can reverse the reversed Jubilee House name for the seat of government, Communications Director at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin has stated.

According to him, the renaming of the edifice constructed in 2007 from Flagstaff House to Jubilee House under executive authority by the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, has been gazetted.

The seat of government has in the last decade experienced several controversies after the late former President John Evans Atta Mills changed the name given it in 2007 by his predecessor John Agyekum Kufuor, from Jubilee House to Flagstaff House.

The name Flagstaff House was the original name given to a colonial structure which used to house colonial military officers and was used by Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah as the seat of government after the attainment of Independence in 1957.

But speaking on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM Eugene Arhin insisted that “there is no record anywhere evidencing the renaming of the Presidency by President Atta Mills.”

He said the debate has now been settled for good after Thursday morning’s change.

“At the end of the day, the president has exercised his executive authority…it’s been gazetted and that’s it,” Mr. Arhin told show host, Daniel Dadzie.

Background

Earlier in February, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his State of the Nation Address indicated the seat of Government, may be renamed Jubilee House so is will the name of the Founder’s Day holiday.

“Mr Speaker, there is one subject on my mind that I wish to put before the House for consideration. I believe, in this 60th year of our nation, that the time is ripe for us to establish consensus on some national issues.

“It is important for us to have a conversation on how we name things that are of national importance to us all. I speak of the seat of the Presidency and Founder’s’ Day.

“In my view, it is not right that 60 years after independence, these matters are still at large. It does not inure to the dignity of the Ghanaian Republic that such matters have become subject to political football.

“I believe we have to settle these matters once and for all, and in due course, I propose we have a national conversation and dialogue to this effect which, hopefully, will end in legislation that will reflect the national consensus,” he said

source:myjoyonline