A fire broke out in parts of the Job 600 building in Parliament earlier today, Tuesday, August 27, 2024.
While the exact cause of the fire remains unknown, the blaze is said to have caused damage to a storeroom. Smoke was also seen coming from the 10th floor of the building, which mainly serves as offices for parliamentarians.
Investigations are ongoing to identify the source and extent of the damage. Staff and workers were quickly evacuated to designated assembly points as emergency services tackled the situation to begin their inquiry into the fire’s origin.
The Job 600 annex, which is close to the Parliament Chamber, was commissioned by President Akufo-Addo in November 2020 as part of efforts to address Parliament’s infrastructure challenges under the Parliament House Physical Infrastructure Enhancement Project.
Background
Job 600 was constructed to serve as the venue for the 1965 meeting of the Organization of African Unity. It is estimated to have cost more than £4 million. In 2007, the John Kufuor administration secured a loan facility of 25 million US dollars from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust for the renovation of the structure.
The cost of the project was initially estimated at 62.8 million dollars. In 2011, the estimate for renovating the building was adjusted upwards by 39 million dollars.
On Tuesday, November 3, 2020, President Nana Akufo-Addo commissioned a 6-storey annex for the purpose of housing the extra activities of parliament. Inside the building is a 150-seat hall with a media room and archives in the basement.
The building also houses 54 offices: 11 offices for supporting staff, 26 offices for Parliamentary Support staff, and 36 offices for research assistants
