The Divisional Chief of Apremdo Traditional Area, Nana Egya Kwamena XI, has called for the arrest and revocation of the license of SAMPRIC HAP LTD
The Divisional Chief of Apremdo Traditional Area, Nana Egya Kwamena XI, has called for the arrest and revocation of the license of SAMPRIC HAP LTD, the contractor working on the 1.5km Apremdo roads, following his refusal to complete the project.
Nana Kwamena XI was reacting to disclosures by the Member of Parliament for the Kwesimintsim Constituency, Dr. Prince Hamid Armah, over the cause of the delayed progress on the construction of the Apremdo town roads.
Speaking on Connect FM on Wednesday, Dr. Armah recounted how the contractor told him to his face that he will not go back to site despite being paid his outstanding fees.
According to him, the contractor told him that, “even though funds have been released to him, he is incapacitated and will not be able to come back and work on the road”.
Nana Egya Kwamena XI could not hide his frustrations over the current developments and demanded for the immediate arrest of the contractor.
“I don’t want to believe that what I am hearing is true, that the contractor says he has been paid but will not come to site. It cannot be possible. That he has been paid with taxpayer’s money to come and help develop the community and he says he will not come. If that is the case then he must be arrested immediately.”
The contract for the construction of the 1.5km Apremdo town roads falls under government’s ‘One Constituency-$1m’ initiative.
The contract is worth approximately GH¢2,664,733.56.
Work began on February 20, 2020 under the previous MP, Joseph Mensah, just as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was preparing for its primaries with an interim payment certificate amount of GH¢1,036,165.00.
Unfortunately, the contractor left the site immediately after the elections.
Current MP Dr. Prince Hamid Armah, in an attempt to get the contractor back on site, filed a question in Parliament after which over GH¢1 million was paid to the contractor.
Unfortunately, the road remains undone.
When asked, MP Dr. Hamid Armah disclosed that the contractor said he “had used the funds released to him to defray debts he incurred on the project and therefore will not be able to do the work”.
According to the Chief, the situation has left his community in misery.
He explained that drains constructed have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
“Last year, during the health performance review, it came out that Malaria is prevalent in my community. And this I will blame on what has become of the drains. My elders and I will not sit down and allow this to happen, no. The contractor must be called to order and immediately. He must come back.”
Residents are equally not enthused with how issues surrounding the construction of the town roads have been handled.
“I remember when the drains were being constructed. My child had just secured a GH¢300,000 loan to build a container shop. Barely one week after the business commenced we were sadly ejected with no compensation. Now, look at what is happening, that I even heard on radio that the contractor says he will not come back. How can this be allowed to happen?” she questioned.
Another resident who sells kenkey along the drain said, “Officials from the environmental department of EKMA came to arrest me because of how choked the drain in front of my business has become. Can you imagine? And I was made to pay GH¢500. How is it my fault that the drains are choked? The drains are blocked everywhere and this is through no fault of mine yet I was made to pay for someone’s intransigence.”
Efforts to get the contractor proved futile as several calls to his mobile phone went unanswered.
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