Western Minister Threatens ToTerminate Amenfi Central 24-Hour Market Contract

Western Regional Minister, Joseph Nelson, has warned TEK Constructions, the contractor executing the Amenfi Central 24-hour economy market project, to accelerate work or risk having its contract terminated and re-awarded to another company.

He said the government would not hesitate to take decisive action if the contractor failed to demonstrate satisfactory progress, stressing that the project was too important to the people of Amenfi Central to be allowed to suffer undue delays.

Mr Nelson gave the warning during an inspection of the project site, accompanied by traditional leaders, who expressed concern about the slow pace of construction. The visit followed concerns over the level of progress made since the contractor moved to site in August.

The Regional Minister described the current state of work as unsatisfactory and said the contractor’s representatives had been directed to take immediate measures to accelerate construction.

“My observation is that work has not progressed as expected. We have communicated this effectively to the contractor’s representatives, and they have indicated that they are putting measures in place to fasten the pace of work,” he said.

He added that the government would closely monitor developments at the site to determine whether the contractor was making the necessary progress.Mr Nelson said the project was particularly significant to residents because the proposed market was the biggest in the district, raising expectations for its timely completion.

He said the presence of traditional leaders during the inspection demonstrated their concern about the project and their determination to see it completed for the benefit of the community.

The minister warned that the contractor’s investment in preliminary works, including the excavation of the foundation, would not protect it from termination if performance remained below expectations.

He cited the Mpohor 24-hour market project, where the contract had been terminated over poor performance, as an example of the government’s willingness to sanction contractors who failed to deliver.

“I have indicated to them that in places where contractors have not been up and doing, like the situation in Mpohor, the contract has been terminated and re-awarded. It doesn’t matter that they have dug this foundation here; if the work doesn’t progress as expected, we will have to take a decision on them,” he said.

Mr Nelson explained that the contractor would be given successive warnings, with a final decision taken if the pace of construction failed to improve.He said the project would remain under close scrutiny to ensure that it was completed in the interest of residents.

“We will come back some day to see what progress they have made. If they do well, we’ll clap for them; if they don’t, then a decision will have to be taken in the interest of the people to see this work completed for their benefit,” he added.

The project has an 18-month completion period but is currently reported to be 15 per cent complete, raising concerns about the pace of work and the contractor’s ability to meet the agreed deadline.

However, the Project Engineer of TEK Constructions, Ing. Emmanuel, assured the Regional Minister that the company remained committed to completing the project within the stipulated timeframe.

He said the company was mobilizing additional resources and accelerating construction activities to make up for lost time.

“We have the target to finish it by one and a half years’ time. So we are mobilizing everything fast-track to meet that time record,” he said.

Ing. Emmanuel acknowledged that rainfall had disrupted some construction activities, particularly the planned casting of the foundation footings.He, however, expressed confidence that the company could manage the setbacks and maintain the pace required to meet the deadline.

The inspection also brought into focus broader implementation challenges confronting the 24-hour market initiative across the Western Region.Mr Nelson disclosed that the rollout had encountered difficulties in some of the region’s 14 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies.

In Mpohor, the contract was terminated over poor performance, with arrangements underway to re-award the project to another contractor.

In Ahanta West and Tarkwa-Nsuaem, however, the main obstacle has been the acquisition of suitable land without litigation or ownership disputes.The minister said efforts were being made to resolve the land-related challenges to allow construction in the two areas to begin.

The Amenfi Central project is therefore expected to remain under close government monitoring as the authorities assess whether TEK Constructions can improve performance and deliver the market within the agreed 18-month period.

The outcome will be significant for traders and residents who are counting on the facility to provide a major trading centre and support economic activity in the district.

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