Ga-East Assembly,GETFund Abandon Abokobi SHS

Weeds and squatters including land-guards, are competing for space at the abandoned Abokobi Senior High School (SHS) in the Ga-East Municipal Assembly of the Greater Accra Region.

The project, situates in the Dome-Kwabenya constituency, though, was initiated under late Prof. John Atta Mills’s administration, has been left to rot after both the Mahama and Akufo-Addo governments failed to inject the needed funds into it.

The municipality, which is the biggest in the country with the recent population and Housing census figure of over 280, 000 residents, co-incidentally boasts only of one public school.

The project, though, a Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) funded, was for unexplained reasons, has remained at various levels for years; though started between 2010 and 2011.

A cursory look at the building swallowed by weeds, showed that but for the decision to leave it half-way, little allocation of funds could have helped its completion.

The Anchor’s site investigation reveals the classroom section of the project has already been roofed and plastered, while other portions of the facility still stand at either the foundation and lintel stages.

It needs be noted, however, that the abandoned Abokobi SHS, is different from the erstwhile John Mahama government’s E-block project, some of which have been completed with others also been abandoned.

According to residents who spoke to the paper, their information is that, the project was abandoned as a result of lack of funds.

But the sad story is that, more than 10 years after its abandonment, neither the Fund nor the Municipal Assembly, has seen the need to allocate funds for its completion and use.

This has, however, given room to some encroachers to occupy the structure. The Municipality has only one SHS (Day School) as part of the E-block project.

With a voting population of over 172, 907 per the last voter population compiled by the Electoral Commission (EC) in 2020, residents say it will be a welcome news, if government completed it.

The day-school located at Kwabenya, according to residents, is woefully inadequate, considering the population of the area.

A concerned resident who expressed disappointment about the situation told The Anchor “The only public Senior High School is at Kwabenya around Atomic Junction; one of the E-blocks”.

He continued: “It is not enough. You know we have the biggest municipalities in the country. In fact, the biggest constituency in the country.

And from Abokobi to Kwabenya is a big distance. Nothing is happening on the project.

Although an effort by this paper to reach the Municipal Assembly for some explanation was unsuccessful, a source at the Assembly hinted they are aware previous and present Chief Executives, have written to the Fund.

The latest letter was in March this year, but there has been no reply so far.

According to the source, some work was done on the project after late Prof Mills’s demise, but along the line it was stopped.

The source also decried the lack of public SHS in the community; saying, the area is so big – citing the recent Population and Housing census which revealed the municipality is the biggest in the country with its population of over 280, 000.

“In terms of the voter population, we are the largest and per the 2020-21 population and housing census, we are 285, 000 thereabout. Meaning we are even beyond the municipal status.

The threshold for metro is 250 000 and we are beyond 250 000 now, so in terms of population growth and the need for educational facilities, that one is obvious”, the source stressed.

It revealed that the school is one of the project the Assembly has submitted to government as it prepares to continue the various abandoned projects.

“You know, recently the government came out that they are going to continue abandoned projects so I think it is part of the package sent. You know each Assembly was required to enlist those projects and submit; and I think we did that so we are waiting”, the source added.

On the squatters, the source said the Assembly previously drove them away but they cannot confirm if claims that the encroachers are back on the land is true.

“I [know] MUSEC drove them out if it is recent that they have come then I can’t tell.”

Source: theanchorghana