E/R: Akyem Asene Pupils Stranded As Contractor Locks Up Classrooms Over Government Indebtedness

Pupils and teachers of the Asene Roman Catholic Primary School in the Asene Manso Akroso District of the Eastern Region had the shock of their lives when the contractor who built the classroom locked up the facility.

The facility was awarded to Kontor Saadie and Sons Limited by the District Assembly through GETFUND, completed in 2016, and handed over the keys to the school to the District Education Directorate in 2020.

The action of the contractor, Kontor Saadie and Sons Limited, followed the failure of the government to complete payment for the construction of the six 6-unit classroom blocks with two offices, a computer lab, and a toilet facility.

In 2016, the District Assembly, through GETFUND, awarded the project to Kontor Saadie and Sons Limited.

The contractor had six months to complete the project and handover.

Speaking to The Daily Searchlight and MyGhanaMedia.com, the Chief Executive Officer of Kontoh Saadie and Sons Limited, Mr. Owusu Agyekum Kuntor, said that although the project was completed and handed over to the assembly, the district authority still owed him.

As a native of Asene, he professed to have erected the project fast and with care to ensure its longevity.

Despite his best efforts, he has not received payment for finishing the project.

The agitated contractor said all attempts to get the assembly to complete payment for the project have failed.

“Since project completion and handing over, we have made several appeals to the assembly to pay the remaining contract amount, but the assembly has refused,” he said.

The contractor said suppliers have been on his neck for their money because they believe the assembly has made full payment for the project.

“My suppliers have been pestering me for their money, and the situation is becoming unbearable,” he said.

“The government always declares on television that it has paid off all of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) debt, but where is mine?” he asked

He says that this is the most frustrating thing.

According to Mr. Owusu Agyekum Kuntoh, the only option left for him was to lock up the classroom block to send a signal to his creditors that he had not been paid and also compel the assembly to honor payment.

 

 

“After all attempts to get the assembly to pay me failed, the only option left for us was to shut down the block to compel authorities to do the right thing,” he said.

 

He continued by saying that although he pays taxes, he finds it puzzling that his debt hasn’t been paid off after seven years.

 

Watch the video below for more details

 

 

The stranded pupils of Asene Roman Catholic Primary School appealed to the government to urgently resolve the matter to enable them to have access to the classrooms to learn.

 

 

Listen to the audio below

 

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