Concerns of ICT lab forsaken at Kwadaso for almost 10-years rise

The Assemblymember of Kwadaso Estate electoral Area, Honorable Kwadwo Gyamfi Harrison has bemoaned the state of an Information Communication Technology (ICT) laboratory belonging to the Kwadaso Estate M/A Basic School which has been non-functional for almost 10 years of completion.

The building has been locked up by the contractor whose name was withheld by the Assemblymember due to arrears unpaid by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) for undertaking the job, leaving the students theoretical in the area of ICT.

“It’s one and a half years since constituents of Kwadaso estate voted us to put things in place,” he said.

“The covid distracted our plans and since the restrictions were released by the president of Ghana, we took steps in resolving the ICT challenges of this school.

“We have written letters to the government to help furnish this lab built-in 2013 with computers to empower our children. The problem is accessing the building.

"The teaching of ICT is abstract and it affects them during BECE, they need to do immense practical to help them understand what ICT is all about yet there is none because the contractor claims KMA owes him so he has locked the building.

Honourable Kwadwo Gyamfi Harrison

Honourable Kwadwo Gyamfi Harrison told Soireenews reporter, Isaac Owusu, that since he and the rest of his Assembly members were voted to direct affairs of the Area, various attempts to get the laboratory functioning has proved futile until they recently sat with executives at the District Assembly to break up the place.

Taking an observing account of the building built in 2013, the unused infrastructure has started wearing out as Desks and seats provided to hold computers have been polished with dust. The building's physical reliability has become a threat and if students are directed to go in for their ICT classes should computers be provided, their lives could be in danger.

“The state of the building has lost its structural integrity and before anything is done, leaders have to take records and repair anything worn out.

“The place is not useful at all to serve its intended purposes and a few works must be done about it.”

The Assemblymember further lamented that should the building be approachable, computers for practice is also a major challenge hence their plea to philanthropists and the government to come to their aid.

A concern resident of Kwadaso Estate, Madam Akosua Agyeiwah who has been monitoring the situation of the ICT lab for some time now told Soireenews that the leaders have thwarted the plans of government due to their failure to put get the asset functioning.

She accused that if the building had been commissioned, individuals would have contributed to acquiring computers for the students to learn.

She contrasted that such concerns have quenched the good name of government schools giving way for private-owned schools to take over.

“We were pleased with the project because the private schools in our communities are excelling in the area of computing which affects government schools.

“The government has done its part but the leaders have disappointed the community very well and it's really unfortunate. This is a state asset financed by the government and its almost 10 years now, no benefit has been derived.

“If the building had been commissioned, at least old students would have been able to help acquire computers for this school.

“We are pleading to the leaders not to make this a white elephant. If they think it can’t serve the purpose at which it was built, they should renovate it for rent. Ghana’s money cannot go to waste like this. Our leaders are selfish and they wait till the election to take a step. Why should it be so?

The Assemblymember of the Kwadaso Estate electoral Area also took advantage to sound a word of pleading to educational stakeholders to come to their aid in the construction of a toilet facility for the school.

“This school has sourced lots of engineers, pilots and even the Ahoe family,” he revealed.

“We are pleading unto people to come to the aid of the school. We don’t just need an ICT Lab but a toilet facility as well. Had it not been the love the teachers have for us, they would have left us because the school has no toilet facility. It's really strange for a school like this.

“The old students, philanthropist and numerous helpers must come to our aid.”

Isaac Owusu