Abandoned Projects Part 1

Obuasitoday.com in a working visit to some suburbs in the Obuasi Municipality chanced upon projects abandoned by the Obuasi Municipal Assembly for years. The news team’s checks revealed that monies that were pumped into these projects either came from the District Assembly’s Common Fund (DACF) or the Assembly’s share of the Mineral Royalty.

Most of these projects have abandoned for not less than 5 years.

Municipal Chief Executive’s Bungalow.

The Obuasi Municipal Assembly (OMA), has spent GHC189, 095.16 on the building from the Mineral royalty from the year 2007-2013.The 2 story residential apartment for the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) which is located on the Government Hill is not being occupied by any one as at press time.

Checks from the Obuasi Municipal Assembly’s 2016 Composite budget shows that, another GHC200,000.00 is being allocated to the Chief Executive’s residence and the money will come from the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF).

As the time of this report, all past Chief Executives from 2007 to date find their own means of accommodation since the original edifice meant for them is still under construction.

The tax payers’ money is going down the drain if a 2 story building can’t be completed since 2007.

Kokoteasua M/A School

The news team passed through another suburb of Obuasi, Kokoteasua to check on an abandoned 8-unit classroom block which was contracted to one Desicon Engineering, but was abandoned 3 years ago due to slow pace of financial flow from the Obuasi Municipal Assembly.

At the building site, the news team chanced upon concrete blocks, woods for roofing, sand and other building materials left outside without security for all these years. When Obuasitoday.com contacted the Assembly member for Kokoteasu electoral area, Mr. Daniel Obeng who admitted the school was abandoned but thanked God, it was captured in the 2016 Composite budget.

“Yes, it is true it was abandoned but if you check from the Assembly’s budget, it has been captured for and by the close of the first quarter of next year, and it will be completed” he said

Parents who saw the presence of the news team, approached and described the ordeal their children have to go through each morning to attend school at Estate or other suburbs all because the building is not completed.

Checks from the Assembly’s composite budget revealed that, GHC100, 000.00 will be taken from the District Assembly’s Common Fund (DACF) to finance the school come 2016.

Christ the King Catholic Sen. High School Fence

Students and teachers of Christ the King Catholic Senior High School (CKC) have been leaving in fear because the poor security nature of the school since it has not been fenced properly.

Students have to at times fight recalcitrant members of the society who intrude the campus during their learning hours or late in the night to steal or attempt raping some female students who come for preps. recently, the school had to block some parts of the school to prevent and control movements of outsiders.

The fence at CKC have been budgeted for several times without any work being done on it since the contractor who was in charge abandoned the Fencing project about 4 years ago. It took the timely intervention of the Old Students Association to help the school fence the school. The President of the CKCOSA, Rev Prince Yaw Adofo who spoke to Obuasitoday.com on phone said the old student’s body saw the hard times the school was going through and came to support with some building materials to help finish the fencing project.

The Obuasi Municipal Assembly’s 2016 Composite budget have now captured the fence again with an amount of GHC200, 000.00 which will come from the District Assembly’s Common Fund (DACF). This amount will be shared between Christ the King and Obuasi Sec Tech all for fencing of their respective schools

Kwabrafoso/Tutuka Alternative Street

What nearly brought down tears from the eyes of some members of the News team was when we got to Kwabrafoso a suburb in the Municipality. This community is one of the planned old communities with streets linking everywhere but that was not the reason for the visit.

The Obuasi Municipal Assembly some 9 years ago started an alternative road project which would have linked Kwabrafoso to the Akrofuom high street, just opposite the popular Koo Korankye story building whenever there is a traffic jam in between Kwabrafoso and Tututa main high way.

Artisans and Traders have erected containers and kiosks close to the bridge that was made over the Kwabrafo River before the road itself. Others too use the river as their refuse dumping area and place of defecation.

This is how far the tax payer’s money has gone waste here in the Obuasi Municipality.