Perching of Foreign Affairs workers at Presidential Palace is wrong ...Mpiani

The Golden Jubilee House

Ex-Chief of Staff Kwadwo Mpiani has faulted the Mills administration for housing workers of the Foreign Ministry in the presidential palace.

He said it was a “wrong decision” taken by government.

President Mills on Wednesday ordered workers of the Foreign Ministry whose offices were gutted by fire to move into the Golden Jubilee House with immediate effect.

Foreign Minister Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni told Joy News' Sammy Darko they will occupy the presidential palace for two years by which time a permanent office facility being built for the Foreign Ministry would have been completed.

According to him government has secured a loan facility from the Chinese Government for the building of the modern office complex which will be located off the 37-Legon road close to the Opeibea House in Accra.

Until that project is completed workers of the Foreign Affairs Ministry will be housed at the presidential palace, he hinted.

But in an interview with Joy News ex-Chief of Staff, Kwadwo Mpiani argued it was a breach of protocol to make a presidential facility available to a minister.

“There is a vast difference between a president and a minister,” he said.

He pointed out that government could have explored other alternatives with respect to an office complex for the ministry in Accra to house the workers.

Kwadwo Mpiani cited the erstwhile Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs office complex which he said has been vacant following government's decision to reduce the number of ministries.

He admitted, though, that as government in power, it has every right to make such a decision and only “Ghanaians will be the best judges.”

He feared the decision could strain ties with India, who partly funded the the Golden Jubilee House.

Play the attached audio for excerpts of the interviews with Alhaji Mumuni and Mr Mpiani.

Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline