Aflao E-Block Contractor Ready To Return To Site To Complete School Block

The contractor for the ongoing Ketu South E-block project at Aflao, which has generated controversy, says he is ready to return to the site and finish the remaining works on it.

According to Mr. David Agbeli, “the project is over 95 percent complete.”

The contractor’s statement comes in the wake of controversy that has arisen after the chief of Aflao, Torgbui Fiti, demanded the completion of the project after a 5-year pendency and was told by President Akufo-Addo that he can complete it himself if he is tired of waiting for the government to complete it.

Mr. Akufo-Addo’s cheeky answer to the Chief was made on Accra-based Peace FM.

The project’s contract had been awarded as a Design-Bid-Build (DBB) by the Mahama administration in 2015 with an original timeline for it to be completed within 18 months. However, the Mahama government lost power in 2016. Almost five years down the line from thence, the project has not been completed.

Consequently, the project has been taken over by weeds

The contractor is reported to have told the Ghana News Agency that the reason for the delay of the project is lack of commitment on the part of the government.

He said while the previous government failed to advance the interest-free mobilisation fee (15 percent of the contract sum) for the start of the project, the current administration continued the trend, forcing the contractor to leave the site five months ago.

“The treatment the politicians give to us the Ghanaian contractors is bad. This contract was awarded in 2015. Even without mobilisation, I went ahead to start the project. It was about 40 percent complete when they left office, but no money was given to me then. And when the current government took over, an IPC that is raised will take one and half to two years before payment is made,” the contractor told the GNA.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Ketu South Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie has called on the government to take the necessary steps to enable the contractor complete the project to provide a conducive environment of study and ease the pressure on the few schools in the Municipality saying, “the schools are choked and their facilities are in dilapidated stages.