Completed Abugiss staff flats cannot be used - Contractor refuses to hand over, says govt owes him

Until 1972, the then Aburi Girls’ Secondary School, now Aburi Girls’ Senior High School (Abugiss) and the Aburi Methodist Teacher Training College were located in the same southern portion of the Aburi township.

.However, the training college was closed down the same year and the teacher trainees were distributed to other colleges.

The move was to give the girls’ secondary school a new look, both in infrastructure and highly qualified staff, to take care of the ever-increasing student population to boost girls’ education.

Because of that, additional structures were put up to supplement that of the training college to cater for the students whose current population is about 1,800 and teachers.

Infrastructure 

The entrance of Aburi Girls SHS

Although the infrastructure for the school, especially dormitories and classroom blocks seems to be alright, that for the teachers is woefully inadequate.

As a result, only a few of the teachers are housed within the school’s premises, with the majority of them in rented rooms in town or Accra, a distance of about 37 kilometres (43-minute drive).

Such teachers, apart from paying huge sums of money on rent, have to commute daily to school, spending so much on transport.

To address the problem, a GETFund project was awarded on contract in 2016 to construct a 16-unit staff accommodation facility made up of an eight-unit storey building and two four-unit bungalows for the teachers in the school.

However, although the buildings were completed three years ago (2019), the contractor has refused to hand over the project, indicating that the government had not paid the remaining 10 per cent of the contract sum.

When contacted, the Headmistress of the school, Cynthia Anim, declined to make any comment on the issue.

Difficult paying rent 

Nonetheless, one of the affected teachers, Seth Frimpong, who lives in a rented room outside the school, said it had been extremely difficult for teachers staying off the compound, especially in Accra and Koforidua, to make a return journey after attending classes.

He said the government had done its part in providing the staff accommodation, so the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, must, as a matter of urgency, ask the contractor to hand over the staff accommodation to the school.

That, Mr Frimpong indicated, would make it possible for some of the affected teachers to be accommodated on the school premises to lessen their burden.

Mr Frimpong, who said he had been teaching in the school for the past 10 years, indicated that he had for some time paid GH¢300 per month for a chamber and hall in Aburi and currently had to part with GH¢850 per month for a two-bedroom and a hall apartment also in Aburi.

The building is gradually deteriorating

High rent 

He said the high rent had eroded his monthly salary, compelling some of them to be living from hand to mouth.

"Aburi is close to Accra and all the people working in Accra feel comfortable staying at Aburi and that has made rent at Aburi to be as high as that of Accra," Mr Frimpong stated.

He said the current situation was negatively impacting teaching and learning, particularly at that period when the students had started writing their final year examination because the teachers, irrespective of where they might be staying, would have to be in the school daily to supervise them.

The Assemblyman for Aburi West Electoral Area in the Akuapem South Municipality in the Eastern Region under which Aburi falls, Daniel Asiama, told the Daily Graphic that often teachers living outside the school premises had been contacting him for assistance to secure accommodation in town.

He also appealed to the government to pay the contractor the remaining 10 per cent of the contract sum for him to hand over the building to accommodate the teachers.

The 4-storey building has also been completed

Accommodation problem 

Mr Asiama said it was unfortunate to see teachers struggling to get accommodation in Aburi to enable them to stay on the school compound to teach students to pass their final examination.

"Teachers come to me always to find them rooms to rent. I am on my knees to plead with the government to come to the aid of the school to compel the contractor to immediately hand over the blocks to the school," he said.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Akuapem South, Frank Adu, when contacted on the phone told the Daily Graphic that he had no information on the project and that any information in that respect could be obtained from the GETFund Secretariat in Accra.

When the Daily Graphic visited the school last Tuesday, it found out that the buildings had developed cracks with some portions of their ceiling showing leakages anytime it rained heavily.

The surroundings were also weedy, making it the habitat of reptiles such as lizards and snakes.

Writer's email: haruna.wunpini@graphic.com.gh