A former Parliamentary candidate for Weija-Gbawe on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress [NDC], Obuobia Darko Opoku, has called on the MP for the area, Tina Mensah, to provide clarity on the status of the abandoned CHPS compound at Tetegu.
In her view, Tina Mensah, who also doubles as a Deputy Health Minister, is best placed to explain why construction work on the health facility has stalled.
Residents of Tetegu in the Weija-Gbawe Constituency in Accra, have expressed their disappointment in the Member of Parliament, Tina Mensah, who also doubles as a Deputy Health Minister over her inability to facilitate the completion of a CHPS compound in the area.
[contextly_sidebar id=”HUlnN32JqsusTXumMbcgRMea8ZOXqw2y”]The facility has been left at the mercy of the weather, and is now occupied by squatters.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mrs. Darko Opoku, who clarified that she did not finance the project on her own, but with contribution from government appointees, said the completion of the project is now the responsibility of the new government.
Appointees under the Mahama administration supposedly devoted 10 percent of their salaries towards the construction of some CHPS compounds across the country.
But it appears the absence of that support has stalled the project, according to Mrs. Darko Opoku.
“…clearly, these salaries that the 10 percent was being deducted from were not being used anymore because there was a change of government so there was no way that the project could have continued. So I don’t know what kind of plan the Member of Parliament has to continue it or what this government intends to do.”
“Now it is in their hands because clearly there is no individual who can go and say; I am using my money to complete it or anything of that sort. So I don’t know what plan the Member of Parliament has, so I am sure that we will all be grateful if we are able to get her onto the phone lines… then she will tell us exactly what her plans are so far as that project is concerned.”
“I simply think it is the job of the Member of Parliament or whoever it is who is in charge now, so she would be able to tell the constituents exactly what her plans are for it,” she stated.
Spotlight on abandoned projects
Citi FM has put the spotlight on several health facilities that have either been fully or partially completed, but are not fully functional.
A typical examples is the $217 million University of Ghana Medical Centre, the first phase of which has been completed, but the facility is not in use due a tussle between the school and the Health Ministry over who should manage it.
Others have included the solar-powered medical centre at the Volo Digital Village completed in 2015, which is not operational due to lack of staff to man the facility.
A 60-bed capacity ultra-modern Bank of Ghana Hospital which was completed in 2017, is also yet to be put to use although all major equipment and hospital material have been duly installed.
The facility, located at Cantonments in Accra, was part of a GH¢445.8 million capital expenditure commitments of the bank to major projects including the construction of a data center and its guest house.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana