Local Government Minister, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, has sternly warned contractors to complete their projects within the stipulated timeframe, as any variations or delays will result in contract termination.
He made this statement while inspecting ongoing projects in the Ahanta West and Effia Kwesimintsim municipalities in the Western Region.
In an interview, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah emphasized that the government’s aim is to bring development through the Ghana Secondary City project, and any contractor that hinders this goal will have the contract terminated.
“We have made it clear to the contractors th at we will not entertain any requests for variations or extensions. We will reject any certificate of variation and refuse to pay additional monies to contractors who fail to meet the timelines.
If a contractor is unable to deliver within the agreed timeframe, we will cancel the contract and re-award it to a more competent and qualified contractor. This has been explicitly communicated to them, and we expect them to respect our position and expedite work to meet the deadlines,” he warned.
Although he expressed disappointment with the contractor’s performance, he acknowledged their assurance to complete the project by September 15.
“Following our road inspections, we’ve determined that the project is substantially behind schedule. We’ve raised our concerns with the contractor, who has promised to achieve near completion by September 15th. Nevertheless, we’re concerned, as similar projects in other locations have been completed within their scheduled timelines.
Additionally, we’re observing the construction of 50 lockable shops at the market square, also undertaken by the same contractor.
I’ve expressed my reservations about the contractor’s capacity to handle multiple projects simultaneously, but since the project was awarded to him through a tender process, our options are limited,” he stated.
In a separate interview, John Agyare, MCE of Ahanta West, shared his thoughts on the matter.
“For the past month, we’ve noticed that the project has been delayed. During our inspection visits, we’ve brought this to the contractor’s attention. When the Minister visited, we highlighted our concerns.
While there was initially little progress, the situation has improved slightly, and the contractor has provided a timeline. We hope they will keep their promise and complete the project by September 15th.
We expect them to hand over the site by then, without the need for further inspections or monitoring,” he stated.
By Ebenezer Atiemo
