Mahama has deceived us - Kobina Ansa residents

Angry residents of Kobina Ansa, a deprived farming community in the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region have given one-week ultimatum to the ruling government to resume work on an abandoned Community Senior High School (SHS) in the area or risk losing their votes in the December 7 polls.

The community, which is a stronghold of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), have decided to show the NDC the “red card” this year if work does not resume on the community SHS.

Addressing a press conference to register their displeasure on Friday, October 28, 2016 at the community school park, a furious Odikro, Nana Ansah Bediako XI, stated that what infuriates him is the deception by government that the school is near completion as captured in the NDC’s Green Book.

He pointed out that government was aware the project was nowhere near completion but are saying that just to score political points.

“We heard the deputy minister of education saying on a radio station in Accra that our community SHS was almost completed when it is just at the foundation level. This is a lie and we are warning government to order work to resume or else we will advise ourselves accordingly in the December 7 polls,” he warned.

According to him, all efforts to get the authorities to get work to start on the project have proved futile ever since the contractor abandoned the project a year ago.

“What saddens us is that the Moree Community SHS which started later than ours is almost near completion while ours have been abandoned,” he stated.

“If JM wants to continue (toaso) as he has been saying, he better continues our SHS for us or will show him the exit,” he warned.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the community, Mr. Daniel Quainoo, who played an instrumental part in lobbying for the siting of the community SHS in the area, explained that last year, a sod was cut for the project to begin but the contractor left without any explanation, after preparing the land to start the project.

The PRO disclosed that after investigating the issue, they realized that the contractor abandoned the project because he had not been given mobilisation to start the project.

“The chiefs and elders visited the Central regional Minister, Mr. Kweku Ricketts Hagan, who promised to bring back the contractor on site but all attempts in reaching both the Member of Parliament (MP), Mr. Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, and the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr. Kweku Hayfron, since the project was abandoned have proved futile,” he further disclosed.

“So when we heard on radio that our community SHS is amongst the 60 SHS which was near completion, we were very disappointed because for us in the community and its surrounding areas, the project was seen as a one stop-solution to our development in terms of education,” he said.

He pointed out that the community and its surrounding areas have not seen any major development from both past and the present governments, adding that they are confused, worried and disappointed in government for how the project has been handled.

For his part, Headmaster of the Kobina Ansa SHS, Mr. Samuel Owiredu, stated that the community SHS will help address the falling standard of education since the highest educational level in the area was up to the Junior High School (JHS).

He lamented that the current SHS in the area which started operating in 2014 with Home Economics and General Art as the subjects offered is a mere three-unit classroom block which does not befit an SHS status.

Consequently, they gave government a one-week ultimatum to ensure that work resumes on the SHS.