Teachers and students of Zangbalun RC Junior High School (JHS) in the Kumbungu district of the Northern Region were left stranded on Monday morning after the Zangbalun polling station chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Issahaku Osman, locked up their school over unpaid contract fees from the government.
The local assembly reportedly owes the NPP chairman ¢69,400 for renovation work he completed after being contracted in 2021.
The renovation became necessary when a rainstorm severely damaged the school building. The assembly had promised to pay Osman upon the project’s completion, but after three years without payment, he locked up the facility to compel the assembly to settle the debt.
Speaking to JoyNews, Osman explained that the District Chief Executive approached him in 2021 after inspecting the storm damage. The agreement was that Osman would renovate the building using his resources, and the assembly would reimburse him from the common fund once it was disbursed.
Osman said he initially used his business funds to start the project but later took out a loan from Bonzali Rural Bank to complete the work, which included windows and painting.
“I used my business money to start the project. When it was left with the windows and painting, I ran out of funds, so I had to borrow to finish it,” he explained.
Osman added that once the renovation was completed, a team from the assembly came to officially commission the building for use, but no payment was made.
“When I finished, the assembly came here and commissioned it, even though they did not give me the money,” he stated.
He further disclosed that his business had collapsed because he invested everything he had into the school renovation.
Meanwhile, the school’s headteacher declined to comment when approached by JoyNews.
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