IPNews-Monrovia, Liberia-30 June 2018: The construction of state-of-the-art annexes at the Capitol Building, the seat of the Legislature, funded by the Government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has been completed.
The construction of the annexes began in October 2016 under “The Grant Assistance Project.”
The New Capitol Building was formally completed on Wednesday and keys turned over to the Ministry of Public Works (MoPW), which subsequently handed them over to the Joint Legislative Modernization Committee yesterday.
Assistant Public Works Minister for Technical Services, Clarence Wilson, on behalf of the Ministry of Public Works presented the keys to the lawmakers.
“We have come to officially turn over these keys to the Legislature, because the two annexes are completed,” Wilson said.
He was accompanied by Mr. Sidney Divine, the Construction Engineer of the project.
Jiangsu Jiangsu Construction Company constructed the annexes, while another Chinese company, the China International Engineering Design and Consultant Company Limited, supervised the engineering component. PRC’s Ministry of Commerce was responsible for the project.
The annexes have 40 offices, while the Senate contains 20 offices.
Each office is furnished with a desk and chair for a receptionist, cushion chairs for the waiting room, and executive chair and desk for the Representatives and Senators.
The offices of the Representatives have a hallway, a room for the staffers, single waiting room and a room for Representatives, while the ones for Senators have similar but double rooms for staffers.
Unlike the previous unit, in the new annexes the offices of the Vice President, the Speaker and President Pro Tempore have more than three rooms and additional furniture.
The Chairman of the Joint Legislative Modernization Committee, Senator Conmany Wesseh of River Gee County, who received the keys, extended his profound thanks and appreciation to the PRC, officials of the Ministry of Public Works as well as the Project Engineer for completing the project on time.
The dedication ceremony, scheduled for July, will form part of the Independence Day celebrations.
Wesseh then turned over the keys to Representative George Boley, Co-chair on the Joint Legislative Modernization Committee.
He also handed the keys to Senator Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence, the Chairperson on the Rules, Order and Administration of the Senate.
Both Sen. Lawrence and Rep. Boley thanked the Chinese and promised to maintain the facilities, while turning over the keys to heads of the respective Houses.
In a related development, staffers of the maintenance department of both Houses have begun training in security cameras and internet service connection, conference systems audio and video systems, heavy current sector, plumbing and drainage and air conditioning systems, firefighting and alarm systems.
It can be recalled that the Capitol Building was dedicated in 1956, under the leadership of the late President William V.S. Tubman, the then Vice President William R. Tolbert, President Pro Tempore of the Senate Edwin Morgan and Speaker of the House of Representatives Richard Henries.
