The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) is embroiled in a contentious legal standoff with contractor Kontoh Sadea and Sons, as the contractor reportedly locks up the Akyem Asene Roman Catholic Basic School in the Asene-Manso-Akroso District of the Eastern Region over unpaid fees.
According to reports, the contractor took the drastic action in response to what it claims is the government’s failure to compensate for work done after the school building was handed over eight years ago. The six-unit classroom block, which also includes offices, a computer lab, and a toilet facility, stands shuttered amid the dispute.
In a statement issued by GETFund on Thursday, February 22, the organization refuted the contractor’s claims, asserting that all outstanding payments had been settled in accordance with the terms of the contract. The statement specified that an amount totaling GHC52,466.96, with REF no FIDELITY012, was disbursed to the subcontractor’s bank on March 7, 2023.
“We wish to emphasize that the contended amount has been paid to the subcontractor, Kontoh Sadea and Sons, in accordance with our agreement,” the statement read.
GETFund further underscored that upon the official handover of the school building on February 15, it became the property of the government. Consequently, any attempt by the contractor to close the school would be met with legal repercussions.
“We shall be left with no other option than to pursue legal action if the school is closed down by the contractor or at their instructions,” the statement added.
The closure of the Akyem Asene Roman Catholic Basic School underscores the far-reaching consequences of financial disputes within the education sector. As both parties stand firm in their positions, the fate of the school and its students hangs in the balance, pending resolution of the ongoing legal impasse.