Dafeamekpor prays High Court: Order government to complete Mahama’s 200 community schools

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for South Dayi, Dafeamekpor Rockson-Nelson has filed a suit at the High Court seeking an order of the court to compel the government to complete the building of 200 community day senior high schools started by the erstwhile John Mahama government in 2013.

On 14 March 2012, then Vice-President John Dramani Mahama announced that the Attah-Mills government intends to construct an extra 200 community day senior high schools in each district in the country to enhance access to secondary education.

Speaking at a TEIN NDC rally at the University of Ghana, Mahama said each of the 200 community day senior high schools will consist of two-storey 12-unit classroom blocks, another six-unit classroom block to serve as a computer laboratory, library and staff common room and a teachers’ bungalow.

Each of the 200 projects, he said, will cost one million dollars and it is expected to be completed by 2014.

Contention of applicant
It is the contention of the applicant (NDC MP) that “sometime in 2013, the Government of Ghana announced its intention to build Two Hundred Community Day Senior High Schools between 2013 and 2016. The previous government was unable to complete the said project within the estimated time”.

The Mahama administration before leaving office on 7 January 2017, commissioned 45 out of the 200 community schools it targeted and “that the current Government of Ghana has refused or neglected the complete project to build two hundred community senior high schools which was commenced by the previous Government,” the NDC MP further contends.

Reliefs sought
To this end, the applicant MP is asking the High Court for four (4) reliefs, two declarations and two orders. First, he is seeking a “declaration that the Defendant’s (Attorney General representing government), failure to continue and complete the project to build two hundred community senior high schools constitutes a misuse and waste of public funds and property and is in contravention of Articles 35(7) and 41(f) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana”.

Secondly, he is seeking a “declaration that the Defendant’s failure to make use of all the forty-six community senior high school constructed by the previous government constitutes a misuse and waste of public funds and property and is in contravention of Articles 35(7) and 41(f) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana”.

By way of orders, the MP is in quest of “an order directing the Government of Ghana to complete the project to build two hundred community senior high schools within reasonable time” and an order directing the Government of Ghana to utilize all the forty-six community senior high schools for teaching and learning”.