Some contractors who rebuilt damaged school buildings in the Upper East Region have issued an ultimatum to the government to pay them by the 20th of October. Spokesperson for the contractors, John Abudulai Abugre, says he and his colleagues are paying high interest rates on loans contracted to rebuild the school structures, which were destroyed by heavy rainfall in 2007. He said they are mounting pressure on government for payment because they cannot afford to make any more losses. Mr Abugre said the contractors started the project in August last year and had six months to finish work and be given their monies. But according to him, despite several reminders to the relevant authorities, government has not bothered to grant their request. Meanwhile an NGO has criticized government for failing to pay feeding grants for schools in the three northern regions. The NGO, Northern Patriots in Research and Advocacy (NORPRA), says cheques which had earlier been issued for the payments to be made have since been cancelled. “My interaction with school institutions in second cycle institutions in the three northern regions revealed the issue,” President of NORPRA Bismark Adongo Ayorogo said. He said the schools had been told by the Finance Ministry that their grants had been lodged in their bank accounts but were “shocked to the bone” when their bankers told them there was no money for them. Officials of the education ministry were not immediately available for comment. Source: Joynews/Ghana