Millennium City Schools Cash Missing At AMA

The future of thousands of pupils of the Apenkwa Presby/Shiayenor Cluster of Schools in Accra hangs in the balance as funds for the completion of a three story eighteen unit classroom block goes missing at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).

The 18 months project commenced in April 2016 expected to be handed over in October 2017 has been abandoned by the contractor-Jasoung Company Limited because of indebtedness by AMA.

The project would also see the construction of a three-unit KG block with ancillary facilities for use by the pupils.

Deep throat sources insist that the money meant for the completion of the GH¢2,972,215.11 worth project was allegedly spent on the June 3, 2015 twin disasters during the tenure of the former Mayor of Accra, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije.

Missing Cash

In the view of the source, there are no records that the said monies were spent on the disaster at least in the handing over notes the AMA gave to the Okaikwei North Municipal Assembly (ONMA) dated June 10, 2019.

A copy of the handing over notes on the school project authored and signed by one Benjamin Armah, the Metro-Co-Ordinating Director and copied among others the Metro Works Department, Metro Internal Audit stated in part “it will be appreciated if you acknowledge receipt and also work with the contractors to ensure that the projects are completed.”

The document with reference number A.012/15/96 further disclosed that AMA owes Jasoung company GH¢290,201, 09 out of the contract sum forcing the contractor to leave the 94 percent complete project to rot.

It said that outstanding works on the project includes final painting, part electrical fittings and connection to the national grid, external works for apron, generator/poly thank stands among others,

No Payments

When contacted for comments, Geoffrey Wurah, Projects Manager for the Company confirmed the story in a telephone interaction on Saturday March 28, 2020.

He noted that the company having executed its part of the contract agreement with payment for work done not forthcoming from AMA packed out of site in August 2018.

Mr. Wurah said the company raised GH¢500,000 but AMA asked the company to go for GH¢300,000 insurance bond which the Assembly paid.

The Jasoung Project Manager stated that there are still some works done by the Company not included in the GH¢500,000 that AMA has to measure and pay.

He indicated that in December last year, ONMA invited the company to submit their documents in respect of the project with the assurance that they would be called when the Assembly is done, a promise yet to be fulfilled.

Ex-Mayor Speaks

Mr. Oko Vanderpuije in another interview does not understand why the project has to be abandoned particularly when there were funds allocated for the project.

He said he is unaware that moneys meant for the project were used to fund the June 3 disaster insisting “no am not aware of that; we never used any of…because the monies that were supposed to go into these schools were earmarked specifically for those projects, so we could not have used it for June 3rd.”

The NDC Ablekuma South Constituency MP explained: “At the time I left office, the projects were ongoing, I was monitoring the projects, I was visiting the schools, I was going to site, I was meeting with the contractors before I left office.”

“I know the monies for these projects were donations from special entities for each of them and AMA was making contributions for their completion so I don’t know why they have been abandoned” he claimed.

Mr. Oko Vanderpuije further argued that “as at 2016 the projects were ongoing, of cause the projects were not competed when I was there (in office) and when they completed and turned in their request for payments, we were paying them and we could not pay them when they had not completed…”

Patrick Yaw Boamah, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for the Constituency in whose jurisdiction this project and two other abandoned ones are located, declined comments on the issue but rather directed this reporter to speak to the MCE.

Meanwhile, attempts to reach the Municipal Chief Executive, Boye Laryea for comments on the matter proved futile.

-MORE SOON-

 

Story by Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson