The sod-cutting scene
President Akufo-Addo on Wednesday cut the sod for the commencement of work on a $55million modern campus for the Ghana School of Law (GSL).
Dubbed the Law Village, the project which will be on a 5-acre parcel of University of Ghana land opposite Presbyterian Boys School, Legon in Accra.
This is to address the challenges including the outdated facilities and traffic congestion among others, faced by law students at the present location of the main campus at Makola in the centre of Accra.
The new campus will provide a modern 1,300-seater SRC Centre, multi-purpose conference hall accessible to common room, bookshop, two lecture halls with teleconferencing, 50-unit office for faculty and administration with other open offices, server and archive rooms, two 500-seater lecture theatres, 15 lecture rooms of 40-seater, kitchenettes/pantries, washrooms, photocopy/printing room, store and two 50 seater mini-conference rooms designed to hold ADR sessions.
It would also have internet cafe points and 20 wireless hotspots for 30 persons each, a modern law library complex with traditional and electronic archiving facilities, two on-site banking facilities, 50 room executive hostel, two Moot Courts accommodating 25-30 people, offices and conference room for General Legal Council, a sick bay, reading rooms, student lounges and general stores.
Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame said the Ghana School of Law has not witnessed any major infrastructure expansion since its inception in 1958.
He therefore considered it a significant feat to commence the construction of the multi-purpose facility.
He expressed hope that the first phase of the project will be finished on schedule in November for the second phase to take off.
Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin Yeboah said the original student capacity for the Ghana School of Law campus at Makola was 66 but now overwhelmed by the numbers and was hopeful the Law Village will be finished on time to save the ease the pressure on the facilities.
He said the project would enable the Ghana Law School to increase its intake and address the triple track system the institution was currently running.
The Law Village is being undertaken by Joberg Ghana Limited, a fully owned Ghanaian real estate developer which has Joseph Magmus Marteye as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
He has pledged to stick to the timelines for the project completion.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent