Minister orders reconstruction of parts of Mallam Market
The Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Martin Adjei Korsah, has charged Comet Construction Company Limited, contractors in charge of the Mallam Market, to reconstruct the creche attached to the project due to shoddy work.
Advertisement
The company has also been asked to finish paving the floor of the main market by the end of August, this year, for the Ablekuma North Municipal Assembly to take full charge. The pavement within the creche has been done haphazardly, with the floor undulating and the structure unplanned.
The minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Techiman South, has also directed the Assembly to sack the Assembly Engineer, Awuah Asare, for poor supervision. But Mr Asare said he would contest the directive because that was not his schedule but rather the consultant.
The consultant, Dr Andrews Kwablah, also complained of delays in releases of funds, which according to him could have accounted for it. The minister, in his reaction, said the contract sum of GHc 14.9 million had been fully paid, and as such the government could not be held liable.
"Perhaps what could be left would be variations in the contract sum which could be addressed," he said. The minister was on a working tour yesterday to assess the progress of work on the Odawna and the Mallam markets.
The Mallam Market, although not fully completed, has been taken over by the market women who have started selling their wares. When it is handed over in August, the Assembly is expected to regulate and properly allot the 40 sheds which come with a toilet facility, and possibly the reconstructed creche to cater for the children of the market women.
Odawna
The contractors who are also in charge of the Odawna market have been given up to the end of this month to hand it over to the Korley Klottey Municipal Assembly. Just like the Mallam Market, the project has the same facilities and the same contract sum.
But they have a herculian task of evicting intruders who have taken advantage of the delay in the project which started on July 12, 2017. The contractor is also expected to put finishing touches to portions of the creche and connect it to electricity.
Other Trending Stories
Mr Korsah also directed that the fence wall, which appeared weak, should be looked at and all illegal structures demolished to enhance security. Perhaps the only exciting news about the Odawna Market is that the tiny drains which cause flooding each time it rains have been widened and properly covered.