MINISTRY TERMINATES CST CONTRACT (Back Page)

Story: Kwame Asare Boadu, Kumasi

THE Ministry of Education, Science and Sports has terminated the contract earlier awarded to CST Limited for the development of four training pitches in Kumasi for the 2008 Cup of Nations, because of non-performance.
Officials say it is clear that the contractor cannot meet the November 30 deadline for the completion of the projects.
To ensure that the projects were completed for use during the tournament, the ministry had re-awarded the projects to Green Grass Technologies, which worked on the El-Wak Stadium and the training pitches at Sekondi-Takoradi.
A source at the Kumasi Venue Organising Committee (KVOC) told the Daily Graphic that the move by the ministry was appropriate, because it was becoming clear that CST Limited was not up to the task.
The pitches included the Paa Joe Park at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the Opoku Ware School Park, the Prempeh College Park and the Wesley College Park.
With just some 50 days away, it is only the Wesley College Park and the Opoku Ware School Park where some reasonable work could be said to have been done.
For the remaining two, not much had been done, and indications were that the contractor would not be able to complete the projects.
The major problem was with the grassing, where execution of work was very slow.
Meanwhile, the KVOC had launched a jingle in connection with the tournament.
Radio stations in the metropolis have also accepted to play the jingle free of charge.
In a related development, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has organised a forum for media personnel in Kumasi to brief them on the preparations so far made for the tournament and how the media could help to ginger interest in the competition.
A member of the KVOC, Dr Emmanuel Asafo-Adjei, told the meeting that medical doctors would be placed at major hotels during the period of the competition to take care of emergencies.
Besides, telephone numbers of various health institutions and medical doctors in the city would be provided at all hotels for the necessary contact, in case of emergencies.
He urged the media to keep up the campaign towards the tournament in order to help whip up the necessary enthusiasm in the people.