AICC Closed Temporarily

The use of the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) for events has been suspended temporarily owing to rehabilitation works, a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.

The statement read: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to announce for the information of the general public that owing to rehabilitation works at the Accra International Conference Centre, hosting of events and meetings at theCentre has been temporarily suspended until further notice."

The AICC, which was opened in 1991 during the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, hosts major conferences, workshops, meetings and other social functions.

Pink Lady, Beauty & the Beast

Beyond the facade of an imposing dome, Accra?s ?plush? International Conference Centre, a.k.a. Pink Lady built some eleven years ago opposite Kwame Nkrumah?s Job 600 appears classic only in outlook. All is not well within-at least structurally.

The structure leaks badly. And now it seem to confirm the fears of the many who questioned the ?indecent? haste that heralded its construction as if it was to outdo the conference centre built by the first president.

They had been assured and challenged that this ?modern? architecture would not only host the rich and famous but that it would be a sure source of revenue and a solid investment serving many useful purposes.

But a Network Herald investigation has unearthed that despite the huge funds that were employed for its establishment, no maintenance agreement was entered into with the contractors-Energo Projekt of Yugoslavia. This is inspite of the fact that the team of engineers stayed behind long after the construction, lobbying for the opportunity as the first claimant to the maintenance of the edifice. Charitable observers blame the ?oversight? on the desire of the then government to get the Centre ready for the tenth conference of the Non ?Aligned Movement in Ghana.

Officials however claim that major maintenance schedules have been assigned to the Public Works Department which doesn?t appear well informed enough to undertake that job. Sources from within say no major maintenance has been undertaken there since its construction despite the huge traffic of the many major International conferences that it has hosted. The Public Works Department though has on some occasions been called upon to do minor maintenance works.

The cumulative effect is that at the moment, one is better off standing under a tree outside during wet days. Observers predict that the poor maintenance schedule of the modern centre would have the potential of shortening the life span of the centre. Presently, very reliable sources have informed the Network Herald that a new foreign firm this time of Chinese extraction has been contracted by the government to undertake renovation works at the centre.

At the moment, events that were scheduled for the place have had to be postponed or cancelled for some adhoc maintenance work. When the Network Herald visited the conference centre and fell into disappointed patrons, there was only one question on their lips: ?what have they been using all the monies we pay to them for, why should they wait for this to happen before measures are taken??