Sunyani Regional Library, Now Public Toilet Facility / Lunatics Home
Sunyani, November 23, 2022
The abandoned Sunyani Regional Library is on the verge of no more serving its intended educational and research purposes.
The edifice which is about 50 per cent completed, but unfortunately been neglected is under used by some unknown persons as public toilet.
During a monitoring tour by thefourlens.com, some part of the left to rot library block seems to be principal place of abode for lunatics while other part under used as public toilet.
The project was to serve the then Brong-Ahafo regional education and research purposes, but neglected for over 19 years now since it construction works began.
The very sad and unfortunate situation is that a big city and regional capital (Sunyani) has four Universities, a Nursing and Midwifery Training College, satellite campuses of other Universities and many Senior High Schools and Secondary Technical Schools, but has no public library to help students and researchers do quality works.
There was a children library constructed at the Sunyani children’s park (opposite Bank of Ghana) which was in use in the 1980s, but has also been left to rot in the bush and now serving as another place of abode for lunatics and harmful animals such as serpents.
Project contract
The contract was originally awarded in 2003 and was expected to be completed in February 2006, but has unfortunately been deserted.
It would have 600-seating capacity for Secondary and Tertiary students, children reference and lending libraries, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) centre, conference rooms and a Secretariat.
According to sources, thefourlens.com gathered that funding for the project shifted to the GETFund in the course of time and the first two contractors left because of delay in honouring their certificates.
The source said in October 2016, the contract was repackaged and re-awarded to K-TAC construction company with the contract sum of GH¢2.78 million for completion in August 2018.
As at October 2021, only 12 per cent of the contract awarded to K-TAC had been executed because of failure of GETFund to honour certificates for work done.
The GLA CEO
In 2019, the then Acting Executive Secretary of the Ghana Library Authority (GLA), Mr. Hayford Siaw, while inspecting the project said “per an assessment of the project, over GHc2 million would be needed for its completion”.
He assured people of Bono, Bono East and Ahafo regions that “the project would be completed and inaugurated by the middle of 2020 to enable it to play expected role in the region.
Mr. Siaw told the media that the Ministry of Education has ask the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to release funds to honor the certificate of the contractor to ensure the completion of the project.
Unfortunately, 2022 is almost ending and “the middle of 2020” assured in 2019 by Mr. Siaw is now a history because no catapult stone has since been removed or added to the edifice.
Improvised library within the structure.
The improvised library within the rejected structure has numerous challenges, making it below standard and unfit facility for academic purposes.
Speaking to thefourlens.com, Mr. Thompson Ntege, a regular user of the facility bemoaned that beside it not spacious enough, it is with very limited and outdated research materials and unfriendly facility for persons with disabilities.
Mr. Ntege stated the current small space in use could not contain deserved people, particularly school children at a time and that could greatly affect academic performance of the children.
He regretted there is only one toilet facility serving all users of the library including females.
The situation, Mr. Ntege observed has made the place unconducive environment for women because of the monthly cycles they go through and affecting the number of females accessing the facility.
Thefourlens.com further gathered users and officers of the facility always experience severe leakages during every rainy day.
Thefourlens.com
[Via] ttchrietoph1@gmail.com
