Work begins at former Ambassador Hotel

Page 3, June 19, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
CONSTRUCTION work on a 259-room Five Star hotel in place of the former Ambassador Hotel in Accra has begun.
The Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations, Mrs Oboshie Sai Cofie, who announced this in Parliament yesterday, stated that the new hotel was expected to be completed in 24 months.
The minister made this known when she appeared before Parliament to answer questions posed by some Members of Parliament (MPs) concerning her ministry.
The MP for Jomoro, Mr Lee Ocran, had asked the minister about the state of the Ambassador Hotel project.
Replying, Mrs Sai Cofie said the Ghana Tourist Board, on behalf of the government, had issued a sub-lease to Kingdom Hotels Investment to enable the company to develop the facility.
She explained that the commencement of the project delayed as a result of some problems the company faced in its bid to register the site.
Mrs Sai Cofie stated that currently the contractor, Messrs Barbissotti, was on site and earth work, including excavation, was going on.
Meanwhile, plans are well advanced for the Ministry of Defence to build a Military Complex in Kumasi.
The Minister of Defence, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, told Parliament that the facility would be sited at the Old Soldier Line, opposite Prempeh College.
The project is estimated at 90 million euros, while plans, specifications and drawings on the project had been developed in close consultation with the Ministry of Health.
Mr Kan-Dapaah, who was answering questions in Parliament, stated that the primary objective of the project was to cater for the health needs and delivery of the military, civilian employees of the ministry and their dependants in the northern sector of the country.
The People’s National Convention (PNC) MP for Sissala West, Mr Haruna Bayirga, had asked the minister whether the ministry had plans to build a Military Hospital in Kumasi.
Mr Kan-Dapaah said the facility would also be made available to civilians within the northern sector, in the same way as the 37 Military Hospital in Accra catered for the civilian population.