The Member of Parliament for Effutu and Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, on Monday, December 15, 2025, commissioned the Richard C. Ekem Library and ICT Centre, a modern educational facility designed to advance digital learning, research, and skills development in the Effutu Municipality.The newly inaugurated complex adds to the 18 libraries already established across the constituency by the lawmaker, reinforcing his long-standing commitment to expanding access to education and information technology at the community level.The state-of-the-art facility comprises a 100-seater ICT centre, a 150-seater conference hall, and private reading rooms tailored to support academic research, professional training, and intellectual engagement. It is expected to serve students, educators, entrepreneurs, and researchers, while also acting as a hub for community learning and innovation.Addressing the gathering at the commissioning ceremony, Hon. Afenyo-Markin underscored the transformative potential of technology while cautioning against its misuse, particularly for internet fraud and other criminal activities. He urged beneficiaries to embrace the facility as a tool for creativity, innovation, and ethical advancement.“Its mission is to plant the seed that will germinate into Ghana’s next generation of tech titans and ethical innovators,” he said. “As we open this door to limitless possibilities, we must also sound a warning. We must guard against the dark temptation to misuse this powerful technology.”He stressed the collective responsibility of parents, teachers, and community leaders in shaping the values of young people who would access the centre.“We all have a duty as parents, teachers, and elders to ensure that our brilliant young minds see technology as a tool for creation and not crime. Let it be said that from this library emerged architects of progress and not authors of fraud,” he added.The Municipal Chief Executive for Effutu, Hon. Rev. Atta Mensah, commended the Minority Leader for his sustained investment in education and knowledge infrastructure within the municipality. He noted that the initiative aligns with the government’s broader development agenda, which prioritises the use of ICT to promote equity and educational transformation.“This effort really aligns with the transformative agenda of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, which has always placed a premium on leveraging ICT as a tool for equal opportunity and educational revolution,” Rev. Mensah said.He further assured stakeholders of the Assembly’s readiness to collaborate with relevant institutions to ensure the effective management, sustainability, and long-term impact of the Library and ICT Complex.However, the occasion also highlighted persistent challenges facing library infrastructure in the constituency. A Board Member of the Ghana Library Authority, Dr. Cyril Fayose, drew attention to the non-payment of librarians’ salaries and outstanding utility bills affecting the 18 existing libraries in Effutu.Dr. Fayose called on the Municipal Assembly to complement the efforts of the Member of Parliament by addressing these arrears to safeguard the maintenance and sustainability of the facilities.“Before we came here, we went round to visit some of the other libraries, and they had some very teething problems,” he said. “Honourable Afenyo-Markin has built a facility, but we need others to support them to pay staff salaries, to pay utilities and so on. So, Honourable MCE, the ball is in your court.”He also used the platform to announce plans to amend the 55-year-old Ghana Library Authority Act. The proposed reforms include the establishment of a Library Development Fund and the creation of a Library Council to regulate and license professional librarians nationwide—measures he said would strengthen governance, professionalism, and funding within the library sector.The commissioning of the Richard C. Ekem Library and ICT Centre marks another significant milestone in Effutu’s educational development, while also reigniting conversations around sustainable funding, institutional support, and the ethical use of digital technologies in Ghana’s rapidly evolving knowledge economy.
STORY BY: CHARLES BAAH ABOAGYE & BLESSING GADEKA -ISD
Last modified: December 16, 2025
