Ghana runs the risk of suffering an international embarrassment if it intends to host any event at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) anytime soon.
This is in view of the fact that the state-run Conference Centre is currently in ruins.
A recent visit by this reporter to the once prized national asset revealed that some of the seats in the main auditorium where major events are held, have either broken or have become an eyesore.
Defects
Apart from the fact that some of the broken seats have been packed at the back of the main hall, some of them, which have not gotten broken completely, had their covers torn and looking dirty, with the cushions in others in tatters.
There however, seems to be some level of effort by management of the place to fix some of the broken seats since 200; some of the fabric seats in the auditorium have been replaced with new leather ones.
Unfortunately, the legs on which some of these seats used to stand have been severed, posing danger to potential visitors or users of the place.
Aside those, the roof of the Centre, especially the part that overlooks the foyer (an open area in a public building such as a hotel or theater) near the entrance leaks horribly.
Whenever there is a slight downpour, the entire place becomes flooded with water dripping from various parts of the roof to the floor.
All this have been attributed to the fact that for the past 25 years since the Centre was opened for operations, no major renovation or repair works have been carried out on the facility.
Facts
Interestingly, the AICC is the biggest state-owned conference facility that can host the largest crowd, apart from the various stadia and some churches in the country.
The facility comprises six conference halls, three meeting halls, two committee halls, a press centre and a multi-functional conference hall, which has played host to a number of notable national and international events.
On a normal day when events like ‘Ghana-Meets-Nija,’ ‘Ghana Movie Awards,’ ‘Ghana Music Awards’ and international concerts are held there, it is able to accommodate not less than 1,600 people and can also take up to a 1,000 people in the case of conferences.
The facility is open to members of the public for use to host events, provided they agree to set standards and can afford the fee.
Checks by DAILY GUIDE have established that the main auditorium is normally given out at a flat rate of GH¢10,903.08, inclusive Value Added Tax (VAT) and National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL) whiles the use of the foyer attracts not less than GH¢4,987.20 inclusive VAT and NHIL for normal (ordinary) programmes. But GH¢7,153.70 (with VAT and NHIL) for major events.
Proposals
Sources have told the paper that the Architectural & Engineering Services Limited (AESL) – a professional group of consulting Architects, Civil, Structural, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Land and Quantity Surveyors – has sent a proposal to the government for a major renovation work to be carried out on the Centre, which is awaiting Cabinet approval.
Managers of the facility are also said to be planning to fix the leaky roofs after the rains are over, probably sometime in or after August this year.
<<Print>>