BONGO ASSEMBLY WARNS CONTRACTORS (PAGE 20, FEB 26, 2010)

THE Bongo District Assembly in the Upper East Region has warned that it will not hesitate to blacklist any contractor who carries out shoddy work for any contract awarded in the district.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Clement Akugre Atia, gave the caution after a tour of some development projects in the district, during which he noticed some shoddy work on a three-unit classroom block under construction at Agomo.
He stressed that the assembly would always ensure that quality work was done on all projects undertaken in the district.
The estimated GH¢50,179.99 building with an office, a store and a four-seater KVIP toilet attached, is being funded by the Community Based Rural Development Programme.
The DCE and his entourage observed that the doors and windows, as well as the roofing of the building, which were yet to be completed, were falling apart although no one had occupied the building yet.
Mr Atia bemoaned the poor quality of work done so far and urged the contractor, Messrs Bobtina Consult Limited, to rectify the defects.
The DCE inspected some ongoing projects, including work on a four-storey office complex of the assembly which is at a standstill, a three-unit classroom block with an office and a KVIP toilet at Atampiisi.
Other projects he inspected include a Community Health Planning Services Compound at Lungu, semi-detached nurses’ quarters at Vea, as well as work on a bungalow for the District Finance Officer at Bongo.
Apart from the project at Agomo, the DCE expressed satisfaction about the work done so far on the other projects and commended the contractor for doing quality work.
Later in an interview, Mr Atia said the assembly was in the past saddled with the problems of inadequate school and health infrastructure.
He said all efforts were being made to ensure that several communities were provided with school and health structures to ease congestion in the classrooms and bring health services to the doorstep of the people.
Mr Atia commended the assembly’s development partners for their continuous support for the district.
While calling for more support, he also appealed to the Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund to release funds on time to enable the assembly to execute more development projects.
The District Director of Education, Mr Francis Agyeere, and the District Director of Health Services, Madam Rofina Asuru, who accompanied the DCE on the tour, commended the government for providing the sectors with the infrastructure, which would go a long way to mitigate the problems of education and healthcare delivery.
Mr Agyeere disclosed that currently, there were 42 kindergartens in the district which did not have permanent classrooms, while two primary schools were operating under trees.
He added that some schools were also congested and therefore appealed to the assembly to provide more classrooms to ameliorate the situation.