Call for probe on Lae school housing project

By GABRIEL LAHOC
OMILI Primary School board deputy chairman Kay Takising is not happy with a K400,000 contract to build a four-unit housing for teachers at the Lae school, saying the contract did not go through the normal process.
He has now called on the provincial education board to investigate the matter as the money was from project fees paid by parents and guardians.
Takising spoke out against the school board which he was part of after learning from the provincial works division that their project was not submitted through the proper tender process and was not approved by government building inspectors.
He said the provincial supplies and tenders board was also not consulted in the project.
He was concerned that at the moment only three members of the school board went against the normal procedure and without having a quorum of five members or more present, passed a resolution last November and awarded the contract to Tinbuka Construction.
He wants the provincial education division to investigate his claims that 12mm sized reinforcement steel bars were used for the foundation of the building, which he said, was not strong enough to hold up a big building.
“Inspection and investigation should be done, this is wrong we can’t use cheap materials at the expense of the students and parents,” he said.
“Parents have the right to know how their money and contributions are being used, this project must stop now,” he said.
Attempts to get comments from the school administration were unsuccessful.