The Tumu Community Center in the Sissala East Municipality, which used to host major entertainment and other social functions is suffering serious deterioration after decades of neglect.
The roof of the building had been ripped off with sheets of zinc flipping with walls defaced and falling apart while visible cracks on the floor and doors left ajar.
Some residents had turned the place into a place of convenience and left unwanted materials in there for stray animals.
That was observed when the Ghana News Agency (GNA) went to assess the current state of the facility.
Some event organisers and artists in the municipality had decried the current deplorable state of the community centre and called for measures to renovate it.
Mr Shaibu Kukunlinbenin, a radio show host in Tumu, said the facility’s location in the heart of the Tumu town made it easier to access, but said it looked abandoned with erosion eating away the frontage saying, “I think it lacks the integrity to host any serious social event of the Sissala East Municipality.”
Mr Danlardi Nahadia, a musician and event organizer, said they resorted to the community centre for their events because they did not have any option.
“We used to pay GH₵100.00 last year but from this year it has been increased by GH₵195.00 but the place has not been renovated for a long time.
I had to build a part that fell off and clean it before using it. Something needs to be done,” he bemoaned.
Mr Nahadia said entertainment was one area that served as a source of income to the youth who organised all sorts of programmes but that due to the current state of the Tumu Community Centre, some people no longer patronize the events there, which was affecting them.
Abuga One, a budding musician who recently organised a music album launch, blamed the poor patronage of the event on the undignified state of the centre as some people would not attend events there.
Mr Bugu Abubakar, known in social life as “Glee Jeezy,” a musician told the GNA that the facility is not appealing for entertainment events and needed to be reconstructed.
“Look at the stage, it’s almost like the floor and looks too small in space for a concert, they should just rehabilitate or reconstruct the place to meet the growing population of the area,” he explained.
Mr Osman Shaibu, the Assembly member and chairman of the Tumu Urban Council said, “The community centre is supposed to be the social centre for all community programmes but its current state is not fit for purpose, that’s why in the last Assembly session I called for the building of a new centre or rehabilitate it, but it was not heeded.”
Mr Godfrey Baveru Kanton, an opinion leader, urged the organisers of social events and musicians not to throw their arms in despair about the absence of a befitting facility but should draw strength in the many people who continue to patronise outdoor programmes until help comes.
He said music was a vital component of culture and has the potential to preserve the culture of the people.
Kuoro Mohammed Kanchuo, the Divisional Chief of Lipilme, urged the authorities to give a facelift to the community centre whilst appealing to the public to support budding musicians who had started showing their talent in the kind of music they did.
He gave the examples of ‘Lil Win’ and ‘Agya Koo,’ saying they both started like young artists and encouraged the rest to follow suit.
He also advised the younger generation to continue to show respect to the elderly.
Mr Fuseini Batong Yakubu, the Sissala East Municipal Chief Executive, told the GNA that the Assembly had come up with a new design for the Community Centre where other facilities would be included.
They included a skills acquisition Center for the physically challenged, a cafeteria, a playing area, an auditorium with seating for guests and an area for shows that had been discussed awaiting funding to give a facility a turnaround.
He said the challenge of financing the project had been an issue that the Assembly was working to resolve.
Mr Batong expressed hope that the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) project was being explored to see whether it could support the new Tumu Community Center Complex.