General News of Monday, 2 September 2002

Source:  

Work On Nkrumah Labour College To Begin

Work on the construction of a Kwame Nkrumah Africa Labour College in Accra by the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU) would begin in December this year.

The College with a hostel capacity for 258 students to be built at North Dzorwulu, near Tetteh Quarshie Roundabout, is named after Ghana's first President because of his onerous contribution to Pan Africanism and African renaissance. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra on Monday, the Secretary -General of the OATUU, Mr. Hassan Sunmonu said the concept for the project was initiated about 15 years ago to honour Osagyefo Dr Nkrumah. The College to be built on a 3.77 hectares provided by the government, would also house the new offices of OATUU.

Mr. Sunmonu said the project, estimated at about seven million dollars include the hostel, an administration block, two classroom blocks, a 5,000 capacity auditorium, a library, a tennis court and the OATUU Secretariat. On financing of the project, Mr. Sunmonu said mostly African countries adding that five countries, Libya, Mali, Egypt, Sudan and Algeria have decided to build some units of the College would fund it.

He said Libya and Sudan have promised to build the auditorium and library while Algeria, Mali and Egypt are yet to select which unit to build. Mr. Sunmonu said units of the college would be named after countries, which built them or after any hero or heroine of that country. He said the designs and Bill of Quantities of the project have been submitted to the South African government to select the unit to build and name it after Former President Nelson Mandela. Consultant to the project is the Modular Group based in Nigeria and it comprises Nigerian and Ghanaian consultants.