GETFund dumps Ayariga’s questionable projects

Mahama Ayariga The authorities of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) have rejected a directive from the Education Ministry to build classroom blocks in Deputy Education Minister, Mahama Ayariga’s constituency. A letter sighted by Joy News and signed by the GETFund Administrator Sam Garba in response to the directive states the proposed projects are indefensibly and outrageously expensive. The letter is in response to one dated January 26, 2012 and signed by the Chief Director of the Education Ministry, Major (rtd) M. S. Tara. In that letter, the Chief Director relays the ministry’s approval for the construction of three basic schools in Bawku in the Upper East region at a total cost of 895,000 Ghana cedis. Whilst two of the three projects are estimated to cost GHS325,000 each, the third is said to cost 245,000 cedis. But in a letter addressed to the Education Minister and dated January 31, 2012, the GETFund Administrator Sam Garba said the cost of the projects is completely in discord with standard costs for projects with those specifications. He reminded the Minister of a stakeholders meeting at which they agreed that a standard price of GHS150,000 should be the cost of a six-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities based on the adopted design. He added that 17 six-unit classroom blocks authorized by the GETFund for construction in the Bawku Municipal Assembly were procured at prices within that range. “At any rate, 17 projects for only one assembly in a space of three years is clearly one too many,” the letter stated. According to Mr Garba, “The average for MMDAs (Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies) is four projects. The authorization is unsustainable, neither on grounds of equity, nor of those on need”.