Academic activities at Odoben Senior High School (SHS) in the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District have been disrupted after a contractor locked up an eight-unit classroom block over a 14-year unpaid debt.
The contractor, Kofi Gyansah, Chief Executive Officer of Rollga Construction Limited, said the project was awarded to him by the school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) in 2010, but he has not received payment for the work done. Despite the facility being 90 percent complete, the school has reportedly used it since 2012 without settling the outstanding amount.
“Every effort to retrieve my money has yielded no positive results. They keep giving one excuse after another,” Mr. Gyansah told Citi News.
He explained that the introduction of the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy and the subsequent dissolution of PTAs may have contributed to the payment delays.
“The PTA awarded me the contract, but after the government introduced Free SHS, the association was dissolved. I expected the government to absorb the debt, but that didn’t happen. Last year, officials asked me to wait until after the elections, promising payment — but I have still not received a dime,” he added.
While Mr. Gyansah did not disclose the exact amount owed, he described it as “several millions of Ghana cedis.” He has now sealed off the building, halting lessons for hundreds of students who relied on the facility.
The contractor also warned that he would take legal action against school authorities if they attempt to break into or use the locked facility.
“They have used the building, which is over 90 percent complete, since 2012. That itself is illegal. I will not allow them to re-enter until I am paid; otherwise, I’ll take them to court for trespassing,” he cautioned.
The construction of the eight-unit classroom block had significantly expanded Odoben SHS’s admission capacity, boosting enrollment from about 200 to over 1,800 students and enabling the introduction of new academic programmes.
The closure has left students stranded, with calls mounting for authorities to intervene and resolve the long-standing payment dispute to allow academic work to resume.
Source:Africa Publicity
