Months after Parliament received heavy criticism for importing furniture from China to refurbish their chamber, the judiciary has followed suit by importing all the furniture for their new 42-courtroom complex building in Accra from the same country.
According to the Judicial Service the decision to import the furniture from China was due the limited time it had to furnish the new offices.
The complex which was built at a cost of GHC 45 million is expected to be completed by June this year and will among others have Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) rooms, lawyers and clients’ consulting rooms, a clinic, restaurants and an auditorium.
Speaking to Citi News deputy director for works at the Judicial Service, Joseph Adjoteye says the furniture is of more quality than that of parliament.
“The issue with our chairs is that we went we gave them [Chinese] exact specifications and tested it before the chairs were brought in, so if you see our type, at least you can feel them that they are different from what Parliament went in for.”
When asked why local furniture producers were not contracted to provide such facilities, Mr Adjoteye said they were constraint with time.
“We have the people who can do it, but if you look at the time and quantum of furniture that we are talking of, unless they come together as a group or merge before they can produce them but if its one company it’s going to be difficult” he said adding that “it’s going to affect our time of delivery.”
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By: Godwin Allotey Akweiteh & Fred Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana