Contractors abandon GETFund projects in Birim Central

Some contractors working on school projects financed by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) in the Birim Central Municipality have abandoned the projects due to non-payment for the work they have done.

The projects include six-classroom blocks each for the Akyem Oda Old Town-Srodai, Atiankama Nkwanta, Apinto and Akyem Koforidua primary schools.

Others are teachers’ quarters at Akyem Gyadam and Suponso among others.

Mr Owusu Frempong-Boadu, the Municipal Co-ordinating Director and Mr Alex Tetteh, the Municipal Engineer, revealed this to the GNA Media Auditing and Development Tracking team at Akyem Oda.

The GNA, STAR-Ghana Media Auditing and Tracking of Development projects is an initiative launched to promote participatory democracy at the local level, social accountability and good governance.

Mr Frempong-Boadu said while the Old Town Presbyterian Primary School, which was started in 2012, was 30 percent complete the Akyem Koforidua Primary School started in that same year was at roofing level.

“The six-unit classroom block at Atiankama Nkwanta, which was started in 2008, is 80 percent complete and the six-unit classroom block at Apinto which was also started in that year is 60 percent complete”, he said.

Mr Frempong-Boadu said the Akyem Gyadam teachers’ quarters started in 2006 was 80 percent complete while the Suponso teachers’ quarters started in 2006 was 60 percent complete.

He said the non-completion of those school projects had compelled the schools to hold classes in churches, “a situation which does not promote effective teaching and learning”.

“Some teachers are also being compelled to walk long distances to school due to lack of accommodation at the places they teach,” he said.

Mr Frempong-Boadu appealed to the GETFund Administrator to pay the contractors on time to enable them to return to site to complete the structures.