General News of Tuesday, 4 December 2018

Source: Accra Metropolitan Assembly

AMA to commission new ultra-modern office complex on December 5

The building is in fulfilment of an MoU signed between the AMA and ACMC in 2008 The building is in fulfilment of an MoU signed between the AMA and ACMC in 2008

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) after over 100 years of operating in its colonial office building behind the Bank of Ghana on the Asafoatse Nettey Street in Accra, can now boast of a new ultra-modern office complex in the heart of the Central Business District of Accra.

The three-storey edifice , which is expected to be commissioned by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday 5 December 2018 occupies some 4,000 square space and can be located within the commercial enclave of the city which houses the Octagon , Accra City Hotel, Mövenpick Hotel, National theatre ,the Kinbu Secondary Technical School, the Assembly Press and the vibrant Tema station.

Constructed by Dream Reality, the AMA new office complex is disability friendly and can boast of ancillary facilities such as a 300 capacity conference room, meeting rooms, cafeteria, landscaping (greening) and a 200 capacity car park.

History has it that the land, which was acquired by the colonial government under a certificate of title dated March 16, 1894, was released to the ACMC by a lease dated February 22, 2001, who subsequently, assigned a portion of the land to Dream Reality Company Limited on July 23, 2008.

Before that, a former Chief Executive of the Assembly, Hon. Nat Nunoo Amarteifio initiated the process of securing the land for the construction of a City Hall that would befit the status of the Assembly.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the ACMC and the AMA and dated February 19, 2008, stipulated that the Novotel Park parcel of land had been leased to the ACMC for 50 years, with effect from January 1, 2001, for the development of a 15-storey structure.

Under the terms of the MoU, which was endorsed by the former Mayor of Accra, Mr Stanley Nii Adjiri-Blankson, and the Chairman of the ACMC, Mr Ekow Awoonor, the company shall, in collaboration with and approved by the AMA, design and build, at the company’s own cost, a three-storey office complex for use as official AMA City Hall.

Under the MOU the AMA shall also be allocated two floors of parking in the development, from which it shall collect revenue.

After several attempts to eject traders on the land for the commencement of the project, the former Mayor of Accra, Hon Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, cut sod for the commencement of the project on the 5th of June 2014.

In 2017, the AMA, under the able leadership of Hon. Mohammed Adjei Sowah, with the quest to create a conducive environment for work and promote development, ensured the speedy completion and furnishing of this office complex.

In line with the AMA’s vision of making Accra a Smart, Safe, Sustainable and Resilient Modern City, this new edifice has been designed to encompass all the necessary facilities and logistics that describes a smart office space with the aim of ensuring that the Assembly achieves its vision and also serve the people of the City of Accra effectively and efficiently.