The abandoned Bono Regional Public Library in Sunyani has been taken over by weeds and reptiles putting the lives of residents in danger.
The multi-million-dollar project, which began more than two decades ago was designed to house several offices and apartments, however, more than two decades after commence of work, the project was yet to be completed.
Despite several assurances from officialdom, the project has failed to meet multiple completion deadlines given by contractors.
Although the building has been roofed, the ground floor and windows remain unfinished, except for one or two offices which have been completed and are being used as makeshift office space, a larger portion of the facility have been left under the mercy of the weather.
It has become an eyesore, as weeds have taken over the site of what was intended to be a major academic, research, and learning hub in the midst of numerous educational institutions.
The failure to complete the project has created a major vacuum for the people of Sunyani and the Bono Region at large.
Currently, students in the region rely mainly on private libraries of various educational institutions for their research and studies.
Sources within the Ghana Library Authority revealed to The Ghanaian Times that since the commencement of the project, four different contractors had received mobilisation funds but subsequently abandoned the site.
According to documents, the consultant Architectural and Engineering Services Limited (AESL), which supervised the project, indicated that the library was 64 per cent complete.
Our sources further disclosed that audit reports submitted in 2021 recommended the termination of the contract and a possible refund of monies paid to the contractors. However, this directive had not been carried out.
Sadly, the source added, books procured by the Ghana Library Authority to stock the facility have been left to gather dust, noting that there was no political will—either from the local authorities or the community—to push for the completion of the project.
An educationist and senior citizen, Mr Samuel Biako, expressed disappointment at the inability of successive governments to complete the Sunyani library project, which he said would have provided schoolchildren with the opportunity to read and learn.
According to him, any society that does not cultivate a reading culture cannot advance, describing the situation as “literally criminal.”
He said: “It is as if we are intentionally killing something within the younger generation.”
Mr Biako acknowledged that social media had come to stay but stressed the need to incorporate reading habits among both the youth and adults.
“If we don’t encourage reading, that part of the brain ceases to function effectively. By neglecting libraries, we are undervaluing their essence in our communities,” he added.
He further observed that it was disturbing that the Bono Region—home to Dr K.A. Busia, the first indigenous African to hold a professorship in African Studies and a former Prime Minister—could not boast of a functional public library. “Where will the young ones get books on our former Heads of State such as Prof. Busia and Dr Kwame Nkrumah to read and learn from?” he intimated.
Mr Biako added that the absence of a public library had partly undermined students’ confidence, contributing to the high incidence of examination malpractices in the region.
He therefore urged the political class, traditional authorities, and clergy to add their voices to calls for the early completion of the project in order to safeguard the future of schoolchildren in the Bono Region, just as pertains in other parts of the country.
A second-year Information Technology student at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) in Sunyani, Phillip Afrane, told The Ghanaian Times in an interview that the library would have provided students with greater opportunities to conduct research as well as expanded learning options.
The Bono Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Addae Akwaboah, when contacted, told The Ghanaian Times that he had received a report indicating that the contract had been terminated and was to be re-awarded to a new contractor to ensure early completion of the project.
He assured that the library would be completed to serve the purpose for which it was intended.
The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 focuses on education, aiming to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030. Education under SDG 4 addresses various aspects, including ensuring that all boys and girls complete free primary and secondary schooling, providing access to affordable vocational and tertiary education, eliminating gender and wealth disparities in education, and establishing safe learning environments.
It is clear that schoolchildren of all ages in the Bono Region—are losing out partly to the inability to complete the Bono Regional Library project
From DANIEL DZIRASAH, Sunyani
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