Kasoa Residents Against Stores On School Compund

A section of residents of Kasoa and surrounding communities are furious over the decision by the Awutu Senya District Assembly to permit the construction of a two-storey building on the compound of the Oduponkpehe cluster of schools. The ongoing building project, which is divided into compartments to be used as stores when completed, covers a large portion of the entrance to the school and is blocking ventilation to the schools. According to residents who spoke to the Daily Graphic, if the building is allowed to stand, it will affect academic activities in the schools and the general standard of education in the Kasoa area. Residents say the project was being executed by a private estate developer called Obolo. Discomfort When the Daily Graphic visited the schools last Tuesday, construction workers numbering about 10 were busily mounting pillars to support the building. The first phase of the project, which involves the construction of the ground floor, is almost complete. One of the workers informed the Daily Graphic that the building works began about a month ago. He said the owner of the building had given them six months to complete the project. Aside from the ongoing works, the school was also heavily surrounded by other structures that were occupied by traders. The traders dealt in items such as second-hand clothing, shoes and mobile phone recharge cards, among others. Residents angry A resident who stays close to the school, Madam Eunice Aidoo, blamed the assembly for allowing the project to be carried through. She threatened that if nothing was done to halt the project, she would mobilise young men in the area to pull down the entire building at night. �Why should the assembly put the future of our children in jeopardy? Are there no laws in the country to check the conduct of our leaders? The country is now in a state of lawlessness because we have made money our ultimate,� she stressed. Madam Aidoo said even though she did not have any of her children schooling in the Oduponkpehe cluster of schools, the action of the district assembly was very troubling. Another resident, Mr James Koblar, said he would take measures to ensure that the project was stopped. �I will use all within my means to bring down the project,� he said. �The first day I saw people digging the ground, I thought they were going to put up a fence round the school. Little did I know that they were in the process of putting up a building for stores,� he added. Mr Koblar said if his interventions to stop the project failed, he would take up the issue in court. �There we would see if the well-informed and respected judges would also endorse this project,� he said. MP annoyed The Member of Parliament for Kasoa, Madam Hawa Koomson, described the decision of the Awutu Senya Municipal Assembly to allow the construction of stores on the school land as �disheartening.� According to her, there was an uncompleted school building which was begun during President Kufour�s administration on the site where the storey building was being put up. �Unfortunately, the assembly pulled down the school building and gave the land to Obolo, who is a contractor and an estate agent, to construct stores and I hear the land has been leased to him for 30 years,� the MP said. She, however, said she would not rest until the project was halted since it would affect the quality of education in the school.