President John Dramani Mahama on Saturday re-echoed the need for Africans to take their destiny into their own hands by highlighting their history and achievements to the outside world.

This, he said, could also be achieved through the setting up of research centers equipped with the African success stories for tourists and other researchers to learn from.

President Mahama said this when he laid the foundation stone for commencement of work on the Professor Atta Mills Memorial Research Library at Cape Coast.

The programme, which formed part of the first anniversary celebration of President Mills' death, attracted traditional rulers, politicians from all walks of life, sympathizers and tourists.

It was also an occasion to showcase the splendid traditional performance of the people of Oguaa Traditional Area and beyond.

President Mahama said the Atta Mills Research Library, when completed, would be stocked with books on the history of Ghana and Africa and activities over the years to project the African achievement.

He said the intention of constructing the library was is to attract scholars from all over the world to research on Ghana and her success stories, struggles and history.

Mr Samuel Sarpong, Central Regional Minister, described late President Mills as an intellectual giant and, therefore, building such an edifice was apt to immortalize him.

He said the library would be opened to people of all walks of life to acquire knowledge. He appealed to the citizens of the Oguaa Traditional Area to offer the contractors the maximum co-operation to enable them to execute the project on schedule.

Mr Kwame Pianim, Representative of the sponsors of the late President Atta Mills’ first anniversary, said the telecommunication industry owed a lot of gratitude to Ghanaians for their reception, hence their decision to honour a former President who sacrificed his life for all.

Mr Pianim, who represented the chairmen of telecommunication companies, urged all Ghanaians to learn to serve society in humility as the late President Mills did by being humble and honest in his political and societal dealings.

He promised that the telecommunication community would continue to support the government to improve the lives of all Ghanaians irrespective of their geographical location.

Professor Domwini kuupole, Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, said the university was honoured to be associated with the first Presidential Library in the country and expressed the hope that it would be stocked with textual materials to serve posterity.

He promised that the university would collaborate with the management of the library to raise it to higher standards that would complement the tourist attractions in the Central Region.