The teachers and students of the Ola Girls Senior High School in Ho have expressed concern over shoddy work executed by the contractor who constructed a two-storey hostel, funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) on campus. According to them, though the project was completed and handed over just last year, the building has started developing cracks, whilst the paint works are gradually fading. Speaking to The Chronicle in Ho, the teachers and students, who pleaded anonymity, said as a result of the cracks the contractor had been frequently repainting the building, apparently to cover up the shoddy work. To make matters worse, the contractor has also directed liquid waste from the septic tank into a gutter that runs through the school. This gutter, which also passes in front of the home economics block and the science laboratory, is posing health problems for the students and staff, due to the bad stench from the human excreta. According to the teachers and students, the contractor realizing the mess has started filling the gutter with gravel to prevent the waste material from running through it, but that has rather exacerbated the problem. The students said they did not also understand why a dormitory had been constructed, but without beds. They alleged that the 300 students, who are using the new block, sleep on the floor, which could affect their health. Some of the students also alleged that a cold-store project started by the school, had been abandoned over the years, and instead of reviving it, the school continued to seek services from cold-store operators in the Ho Township at a cost. They, therefore, appealed to the government to set up an independent body to investigate all the allegations, ascertain the truth, and support the school to rectify any anomalies, especially, the GETFund project. When contacted, the Headmistress of the school, Mrs. Afesi, who is relatively new in the school, explained that her predecessor made it clear in her handing-over notes that the GETFund dormitory project did not include the provision of beds, but after the execution of the project, indications were that the government would provide the beds. Mrs. Afesi said she had been visiting the regional office of the Ghana Education Service to drum home the need for beds to be supplied to the school. Touching on the septic tank, Mrs. Afesi said when her outfit confronted the contractor; he told them that it was an error which he hoped to address. With regards to the cold store, she said, she had no idea about it, since that was not included in the handing-over notes was given to her. Source: The Chronicle