By Eric K. Amoh
Tamale, July 24, GNA – Mr Albert Kofi Owusu, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana News Agency (GNA), has led technical teams from the Engineering and Architectural Services Limited (AESL) and the Social Investment Fund (SIF) to jointly inspect the renovation of the Ghana News Agency Office block in Tamale.
The renovation, project solely funded by the Africa Development Bank with technical support from the SIF and AESL, is part of a three-million dollar funding allocated to the GNA under the Post Covid-19 Skills Development and Productivity Enhancement Project (PSDPEP).
The PSDPEP is a $24 million initiative funded by the African Development Bank towards revitalising Ghana’s economy.
The team was impressed by the speed at which the construction firm was delivering the project ahead of the timelines, and the quality of work that was ongoing at the site.
Renovation works at the GNA office in Tamale for now, include replacing louvre blades with sliding windows, re-roofing of the entire structure, changing of tiles from PVC to ceramic, rewiring of electrical systems, provision of new water, sewerage and plumbing systems as well as painting to give the place a major facelift.
Other structural enhancement projects, which include wall fencing and the development of stores to boost income generation and serve the sustainabilty drive for the Agency is under consideration by AfDB and partners.
The structure since its construction about 50 years ago has never seen any major renovation. The support from the Africa Development Bank, is considered a bigger relief to Management and staff of the Agency and a step to maximising efficiency and improving productivity.
At a brief meeting after the inspection of the construction work, Mr Owusu expressed gratitude to Management of ADB and its partners for the gesture and said the renovation works for the Agency was a big relief that sought to give a general structural facelift geared towards improvement in the human resource base of the Agency.
He elaborated the content of the project and explained, it involved some key components, including capacity building of staff of the Agency which were also ongoing.
The CEO, who is also the General Manager of the GNA, said the project was further designed to enhance the role of journalism in Ghana’s recovery and rebuilding efforts after the pandemic.
The PSDPEP is a Government initiative, funded by the Africa Development Bank, and executed by the Social Investment Fund, over a five-year period.
The Ghana News Agency is one of five beneficiaries on the $24 million project.
The Agency for its part is expected to develop audio visual content for effective public health communication, encourage private-sector growth, climate change and sustainable development and gender advocacy and mainstreaming through its media role.
Mr Owusu further explained that the GNA was selected because of the vital role it played in telling the nation’s story with credibility and professionalism.
He said the project which focused on enhancing health sector, promoting gender parity, supporting women’s empowerment and addressing climate related issues, would reflect the Agency’s overall objective of information dissemination, education and entertainment.
Mr Isaac S. Agyei-Mensah, Zonal Consultant at the AESL in Tamale, who led the team on the inspection, commended the construction firm for delivering ahead of schedule and maintaining quality throughout the process.
He told the team that progress made so far at the site by the firm was indicative of early completion of work, and said the contractor was directed to fix some minor concerns expressed by the client.
Mr Kwaku Agbesi, Procurement Specialist and Engineer on the project from SIF, impressed on the contractor to do due diligence in disposing off debris and other waste materials from the site to ensure compliance.
He commended the contractor for his speed and quality in delivering, and urged him to maintain adherence to all protocols under the contract.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/Christian Akorlie