District Chief Executives (DCEs) in the Volta Region on Friday protested against the Ministry of Education (MOE) for awarding school projects on contract to Messrs Rinac and Company Limited, a Sunyani based contracting firm.

The DCEs said Rinac, under the contract would build 25 three-classroomed blocks, 14 four-seater KVIPs and rehabilitate a number of schools in the Kete-Krachi, Nkwanta, Kadjebi, South-Tongu and North-Tongu Districts.

In a resolution, adopted at the fourth Volta Region DCEs meeting at Kadjebi, the DCEs said the said contracts were awarded without any consultation or correspondence with the Volta Regional Co-ordinating Council (VRCC) nor the various district assemblies.

The statement said this action was generating disaffection among the local contractors, who said this was an attempt to enrich a few to the detriment of the larger society.

It said the action of the Ministry violated the decentralisation concept and should, therefore, be curtailed in the true spirit of grassroots participation in democracy and development. The resolution appealed to the VRCC through the Regional Minister to investigate the veracity or otherwise of the contract.

The DCEs of the five districts said they received a correspondence in August, headlined "Introduction of Contractor under the Primary Education Rehabilitation Project" (PERP) to construct classroom blocks and KVIPs and signed by Mr Ato Essuman, Director of Finance and Project Monitoring Unit (FPMU).

The DCEs said the letter with reference number MOE/PERP/01/C01 entreated them to demarcate sites and introduce the contractors to school authorities and relevant stakeholders to enable them to start work.

Mr Kwasi Owusu-Yeboa, Volta Regional Minister said this action was at variance with the principles and directives of decentralisation and promised to investigate the matter.

He advised the DCEs to contact his office when in doubt about issues and praised them for their vigilance.