Kpone Traditional Council, Presbyterian school damaged in downpour

Kpone, April 03, GNA - A community centre under construction collapsed and the Presbyterian School that was renovated about four months ago had its roof ripped off in Sunday's windstorm. The Kpone Traditional Council had computers and their accessories, files and books damaged and the elders estimate the cost of damage to be over 600 million cedis.

A computer room, the chief's office, a library and the general office were all affected.

The Tema Municipal Chief Executive, Mr David Quaye Annang, visited the disaster scene and blamed it on inefficiency and shoddy work by the contractor.

He said there was the need for developers to always engage the services of building experts to offer advice, supervision and direction at every stage of the construction to prevent disaster.

Mr Annang said it was about time developers flouting the building regulations be penalized to serve as deterrent to others. While pledging a computer and accessories to the Council, he gave the assurance that the assembly would meet to discuss how best to offer more assistance.

The contractor, Mr Simon Donkor of Simon Simco Construction Works, said he could not be blamed because he did not provide the building materials for the project.

He said the Project Committee of the traditional council provided the materials and that "all I did was to provide labour."

Mr Donkor said the project, which started two years ago, was done in phases as and when the committee provided the materials.

Mr Nathaniel Nortey, an elder of the council, appealed that communities who are beneficiaries of projects be involved in its implementation so that they could offer some correction if things did not go the right way.

He cited an instance where the Chief of the town, Nii Tetteh Out 11, made suggestions to an engineer during the construction of drainage but he took offence.

Mr Nortey said the engineer told the Chief that he did not award the contract and in the end the drainage was poorly done because the town flooded each time it rained.