Yesterday, Legendreport published a detailed exposé on the ongoing renovation works at Sayerano Anglican Primary School. The report highlighted multiple concerns raised after an inspection by officials from the District Assembly, including engineers, the Coordinating Director, and the District Chief Executive (DCE).
According to the findings, the contractor’s work may have done more harm than good. The structural integrity of the building has been compromised — with improperly placed pillars and heavy beams exceeding the capacity of the old Attakwame-style structure, resulting in alarming cracks.Inspectors also noted potholes on the floor, the use of old doors instead of new ones, and poorly constructed disability-accessible ramps, all of which pose serious safety risks to students and staff.
In our initial report, we identified the construction company involved as Kiafe Ventures, and noted that two-thirds of the total contract sum had already been paid.
click the link to read the first publication
Following the publication, the contractor, Mr. Stephen Affum Kroko, speak on Radio Rainbow Morning Show — a local station in the Juaboso District hosted by Alaska Joe Junior — to address the allegations.Mr. Affum confirmed he is the contractor responsible for the project. However, he clarified that the registered construction firm, Kiafe Ventures, does not belong to him. It is owned by Mr. Kwabena Adjei, also known as Elder Adjei. He admitted using the company’s name to secure the contract, citing incomplete documentation on his part.
He stated that the contract was awarded around 2022. When asked why the project had not been completed within the originally agreed five-month period, Mr. Affum said he couldn’t recall the specifics, suggesting instead that the timeframe was between eight months and one year.In terms of payments, Mr. Affum denied receiving 80% of the contract sum, asserting that he had only received 50% — approximately GHS 150,000 (equivalent to 1.5 billion old Ghana cedis).Addressing concerns about the quality of the work, Mr. Affum insisted that he delivered a professional job.
He said engineers had inspected the work and gave further tasks based on their observations, which he plans to address. He encouraged anyone in doubt to check with the Assembly’s Accounts Office or review his bank statements for verification.He also dismissed claims that he had refused to meet with the DCE, stating:“I waited at the office from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, but the DCE never showed up.” “I installed 36 pillars, re-roofed the school with new roofing sheets, and tiled the floor using breaking tiles.
He acknowledged that Mr. Asuman, a former engineer with the Assembly, questioned the excessive number of pillars, but Mr. Affum defended the decision as necessary for the building’s safety.Mr. Affum revealed that two months ago, the Works Department contacted him following an audit inspection.
The auditors identified three critical issues:
1. Potholes in the floor that need to be repaired.
2. Roof leakage that allows rain into classrooms.
3. Lack of signage indicating the ongoing renovation.
On the roofing issue, he attributed the damage to stones thrown by children trying to pluck mangoes from nearby trees. Despite the cause, he pledged to repair the damage.He added that the roofing sheets were purchased based on recommendations from the engineering team and had been installed about two years ago.
Responding to accusations of installing pillars incorrectly on the floor rather than into the ground, Mr. Affum refuted the claim: “The pillars were fixed properly into the ground. I even handed that section of the work to a qualified contractor — the brother of the Sayerano chief.
He explained that the school’s original floor was weak due to age. While engineers advised only repairing broken sections, he decided to retile the entire floor for uniformity and added strength.Mr. Affum conceded that there might be some defects in the project, but strongly denied that the work as a whole was substandard. He assured the public that he would revisit the site to reassess the situation and make necessary corrections.
Legendreport remains committed to following this story to its very conclusion.
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