Don't blame UCC for closure of Atta Mills Memorial Library - Vice Chancellor

The University of Cape Coast cannot take responsibility for the closure of the John Evans Atta Mills Memorial Library, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampaih has stated.

Speaking to the University’s radio ATL FM, the Vice Chancellor indicated that there has not been any formal handing over to the university to manage the facility.

He added: “The Library was commissioned but it was not handed over, so when it came to the handing over, we sat down with the contractor, but we realized that the place was not complete; there were a number of things yet to be fixed, so we told the contractor that until he fixed those things we would not take over.’’

“There were other things they needed to bring into the Library they had not done, but they felt that we should take over the place and start running it”.

The Library which was inaugurated by former President John Dramani Mahama in July 2016 as a memorial and digital research centre, with a 100-capacity auditorium, a forty-five seater multimedia unit, seminar rooms and a museum meant for works and historical materials on the late President.

However, the facility has been shut down due to lack of funds. To make matters worse, the contractor who worked on the project is said to have locked up the place and taken the keys away, denying the university access to the two-storey building situated opposite the Cape Coast Castle.

Answering a question on that, the Vice Chancellor said, after holding a meeting with the contractor some time ago, he complained to the University that he was shutting down the facility because there were some monies that had not been paid him.

“Finally, the contractor left with the keys, and we don’t even know where the contractor is”.