Govt awards contract for improvement of water supply to Oguaa schools

Cape Coast, April 26, GNA - The government has awarded a 20 billion cedis contract for the improvement of the water supply systems in senior secondary schools (SSS) within the Cape Coast Municipality.

The Central Regional Minister, Mr Isaac Edumadze, who announced this in a telephone interview with the GNA at Cape Coast on Monday, said work on the project, will take off soon, and that the three contractors engaged for various aspects of the project, were "preparing to take their mobilisation" or initial money, for commencement of work.

He mentioned two of the firms engaged for the project as GEOFRA, a British firm and BETA, a local construction company.

On Sunday, the regional directorate of education caused an announcement to be made in the media that the re-opening dates of the SSS were being postponed because of the low water level in the Brimsu dam, which supplies water to the municipality and its environs.

The announcement further stated that only SSS three students, who are scheduled to sit for their final examinations in June, were to report at the initial re-opening dates.

On February 10, this year, the Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr Osei Akoto, announced at a forum on the 2004 budget at Cape Coast that, the government has allocated the amount to improve water supply in such schools.

The Regional Minister, said his administration was "getting ready" to support alternative and short-term measures such as the provision of tankers to augment water supply in the municipality. He hinted that, a project to install an additional treatment plant to enhance water supply in the municipality, would take off in September.

When contacted, the regional director of education, Mrs Justina Torjagbo, could not tell the GNA when the rest of the students would report at school, and explained that her office was waiting for word on that from the Ghana Water Company (GWC).

Two years ago, an acute water shortage hit the municipality following the drying up of the Kakum River, which supplies water to the Brimsu dam.

The crisis forced the temporary closure of the SSS and virtually brought academic work at the University of Cape Coast and the operation of vital areas like the hospitals, to a halt.