The Bolgatanga East District Assembly was officially handed over a newly constructed District assembly office complex on Wednesday, June 2, 2021.
In an official ceremony held at the fore court of the new edifice, the project Consultant, Dr. Andrew Kobla handed over the keys to the office complex to the District Chief Executive (DCE), Hon. Emmanuel Abugre Abole on behave of the management and staff of the Assembly.
The government of Ghana in November, 2017 created 38 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies across the country out which two new districts were created in the Upper East Region. Bolga-East District was carved out of the Bolgatanga Municipality while Tempani district was created out of the former Garu-Tempani District.
The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in 2018 as part of plans to construct district assembly blocks for the newly created districts, awarded the construct was the construction of a new assembly office complex for the Bolga-East District.
The District Chief Executive, Hon Emmanuel Abole disclosed that the assembly office complex was initially to be constructed in the Binduri district which was created as far back as 2008, but for some disagreement over its location, the project was transferred to the newly created Bolga-East District.
“The sod was cut in November, 2018 and the contractor started work almost immediately with the support of the consultant who has been very helpful to us. We can boast that we are the only newly created district in the country that has benefited from government in this facility to this level. This project was to be at Binduri because they had been created earlier in 2008, but they had some dispute and in the process the lot fell on us(Bolga-East). ” – Mr. Abole stated.
The project Consultant, Dr. Andrew Kobla speaking to Word FM news after the ceremony said the project have some good offices, a conference hall among other facilities that can adequately serve the operational needs of the district.
He said,”The project is a one story building, a total of 29 rooms, a 100 seater capacity conference room, special office for the DCE and Coordinating Director.”
The Assembly block was constructed and furnished by Massem Construction Ghana Limited at a sum cost of Ghc2.9 million Ghana cedis according to the consultant.
Dr. Kobla explained further that “The contract price for the construction was 2.44million Ghana cedi’s and then to make building usable immediately it is finished, the government also added furniture to the project at a cost of 480,000 Ghana Cedi’s and the total price is about 2.9million Ghana cedi’s.”
To ensure that all construction defects are completely addressed even as the building is in use, 10percent of the contract sum has been withheld till all detected defects are entirely corrected.
When Word FM News asked about the defects liability period, the Consultant said:” The project has a defects liability period of six months within which the contractor is supposes to detect and correct any contractual defects.”
Hon. Abole conveyed the gratitude of the assembly, chiefs and people of Bolga-East to the government of Nana Akuffo-Addo, the contractor and the consultant for ensuring the timely and fruitful completion of the project on behalf of the assembly and the district.
“Consultant and constractor we are grateful that all this while in our efforts to get this edifice in place, there have been maximum cooperation and so far I am satisfied with how far it has come. There are few things to be done like the landscaping and a few other things to beautify the place and we are working at that and those things would duly be done .”- Hon. Abole gratified.
In attendance at the short ceremony was the District Coordinator, the DCE, Assembly members, members of stuff of the assembly, the project consultant, representatives from the Assembly, chiefs and elders of the area.
By:Wisdom Adekurah/mywordfmonline.com