'Konongo Kaya' Contractors Grab Contracts

THE CHRONICLE can authoritatively report that several contracts awarded months ago by the Ashanti Regional Tender Board are yet to get to their implementation stage.

This is because the now legendary 'Konongo Kaya' syndrome, is playing itself out with contractors grabbing every contract hanging before them but not executing them and yet would not want anyone to have a go at them.

In days gone by when rail transport was a preferred means of transport, resident porters from the Sahelian countries would announce their presence as 'Kaya Kaya' (Porters), ready to carry the luggage of travellers.

However, the 'Kaya Kaya' of Konongo Railway Station were said to charge high fees. If the traveller refused to pay, the porter would refuse to carry the load and yet would not allow another porter who might charge less to take over the job.

And true to the saying, five months after it was supposed to commence work on town roads in Konongo, the contractor, Messrs Hagfos has all but abandoned work before he began.

Of the five roads awarded to him, only one of them was being attended to in Freetown even though the duration of the contract is one year (November 2007). As for the rest, they are just as they have always been.

This paper gathered that for some inexplicable reason, many of the contractors were awarded additional contracts at a time they had not done anything on the previous ones.

Even more strange is the fact that they are said to have collected their mobilisation fees to support them to proceed with the execution of the said projects.

It further learnt that all of the stalled projects were awarded in the administration of Honourable Sampson Kwaku Boafo, who was the Chairman of the Regional Tender Board.

The Chronicle established that the contractor, Messrs Hagfos was expected to resurface and tar the road from the Taxi Rank at the Methodist Church linking the one, which passes in front of the chief's palace to Agogo.

Under the contract, the contractor was also supposed to tar four other roads, namely the market junction road through the one behind the Police station adjoining the main Kumasi-Accra highway; the rest are the roads leading to the residency of the District Chief Executive and SSNIT Houses at Konongo Extension (Low Cost), as well as two streets at Freetown.

It was gathered that Messrs Hagfos has some other contracts in Asante Akim South and probably more elsewhere hence his inability to expedite action on the projects.

This reporter could not locate the contractor to hear his side of the story.

Reports from other parts of the region indicate that the situation is the same, thus leaving people, particularly party chieftains scratching their heads over how to get the contractors onto the field.

This 'go slow attitude' has generated mistrust for the political party in power, whose officials have trumpeted that the government was up and doing.

A blame game is currently doing the rounds with NPP sympathizers accusing the contractors involved of making the government unpopular.

Available information gathered by this reporter indicated that the stipulated guidelines require that contracts should be awarded to contractors with some level of experience.

Critics, particularly those affiliated to the NPP contend that it disqualifies many of their members because pro-NPP contractors never got contracts during the NDC regime thus denying them the needed experience.

They say that be that as it may, the situation had resulted in contractors other than those whose loyalties lie with the government, to have a field day.

However, the Ashanti Regional Director of the Department of Feeder Roads, Dr. K Osafo Ampadu told this reporter in Kumasi on Tuesday that the delay in executing the contract was because the contractors are waiting for chippings, which are in high demand.

Interestingly, contracts awarded in the Districts and Metropolis were being executed because they were constantly monitored unlike those awarded by the Regional Tender Board.