The completion date for the Ho Airport in the Volta Region has for the second time, been revised to March 2018 after contractors failed to meet the deadline seven months ago due to a number of factors.
Aviation Minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah who announced the new date blamed the delays in the project on delays in releasing funds to the contractor, activities of Fulani herdsmen and consistent rainfall, 3FM’s Mercydalyn Lokko reported Thursday.
Work on the 24million-dollar project started in September 2015 and was first scheduled for completion on November 4, 2016 but was revised to March 18, 2017 which was missed by the contractors.
The facility, according to the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL), would have among others, a runaway of 1,900metres in length and 30metres wide, an aircraft parking area, a terminal building to hold at least 150,000 passengers a year, a VIP and VVIP facility, a parking area for the staff and nine-kilometer network of roads around the airport.
It is being constructed on a1500-acre land released by the Asorgli Traditional Area.
In December 2016, President John Mahama commissioned the first phase of the project – runway, and paved the way for the beginning of the second phase which included the construction of the terminal building for the airport.
READ: A-Plus mocks Mahama; describes Ho Airport as “Air-Kiosk”
But the project has since not been completed.
Answering questions in Parliament Thursday on the progress of work, Ms. Abena Dapaah said her ministry engaged the contractors together with the GACL at which it was relayed that the “contractor has requested for an extension of the completion date to March 2018 as a result of delays in payment”.
Aside the issue with payment, there has been some challenges with Fulani herdsmen, who she said have been “cutting the perimeter fence for their animals to graze”.
“As at August 2017, the overall project completion was 88.49 per cent. The value of work certified to date is 19.7 million dollars and payments have been executed. There is no outstanding payment,” she told Parliament.
She said the contract is currently on site continuing with work on the project.
But MP for Asawase, Muntaka Mubarak, rebutted the claim, insisting the contractor was not on site and asked the sector minister to crosscheck, 3FM’s Mercydalyn Lokko reported.
By Stephen Kwabena Effah|3news.com|Ghana
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