Roof ripping off, walls developing algae, no doors, bare cement floors, and no toilet facility; that is the state of the Volta Regional theatre of the Centre for National Culture (CNC).
It has been under construction for the past two decades – beginning in 1998.
The last time the contractor was on site was about 10 years ago. Since then, no work has been carried out to get the structure completed.
Naked rods are all over wall and floors of the structure. There is ever-growing thick green patches of algae as the structure is exposed to rains.
This is largely because parts of the roofs are already getting ripped off. The situation is compounded because there are no gates or doors to the performance theatre. It has opened the place up for squatters and stray animals.
The echoes in the main theatre render it unfit for events in its current form.
"It's in a sorry state. The facility has been abandoned. Even though the administrative staff use one wing of it, the performance area, the auditorium proper, changing rooms and other facilities are in a sorry state," the Public Relations Officer of the Centre, Jude Kubiti, said
According to Jude Kubiti, the delay is having a great toll on the core mandate and activities of the Centre. Events and performances at the Centre are mostly held outside in the open or sent to other venues, not suitable for live theatre and other stage performances.
"It impacts on entertainment, the culture of the people and programmes in the region are so much," said Jude Kubiti.
All activities for the 2018 Regional Culture Festival were held in the open, in front of the centre, periodically threatened by the rain.
No Toilet: Inconvenience for Staff
The stalling of the project is creating great inconvenience for staff because, the facility which also serves as office accommodation designed to have sanitary facilities, does not have a single toilet completed.
This compels staff to either run to nearby offices at the Regional House of Chiefs to attend to nature's call or resort to the bush.
A member of the staff, Elvis Kpedekpo stated: "when we come to work, we virtually live like bats, which means we have no place of convenience."
For these members of staff of the Centre for National Culture (CNC), urgent attention is required to get the 20-year-old structure completed. Further delay is a further deterioration.
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