Quarry site operators threaten to sue GHA

Members of the Association of Quarry Site Operators in the Greater Accra Region have threatened to sue the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) for allegedly crippling their businesses and preventing them from being awarded contracts in the ongoing motorway expansion project.

The quarry site operators alleged the GHA is going around peddling falsehood about their trade.

At a press conference organised by members of the association on Thursday, 4 October 2018 in Tema, they noted that the GHA claims materials from the Shai Hills contains alkaline which is not suitable for construction works in the country and therefore the GHA has directed contractors undertaking the motorway expansion project not to procure any products from any of the quarry sites at Shai Hills.

Spokesperson for the quarry site operators, Michael Kumah said materials from the Shai Hills have been used for several construction projects in the country, therefore, there is no proof whatsoever to back the claims being made by GHA.

Mr Kumah stated: “We’ve recently received some documents from the consultant who is in charge of the Tema motorway interchange project and the issue is about them receiving a letter officially signed by the director from the Highways that the materials coming from Shai Hills should not be used for any project at that particular site and we find it difficult [to undertstand] on our side, because we don’t have any result from the Ghana Highways proving beyond reasonable doubt that the materials coming from the Shai Hills are not suitable for projects in the country.

“We are supplying products from Shai Hills to most of the major projects sites in the country here.”

He continued that: “I think since Kwame Nkrumah’s time, materials from Shai Hills have been used for the construction of the Akosombo dam, Tema Port, the Tema motorway, the Circle interchange and currently, the biggest Port expansion that is going on in the country. Ghacem is also using our products to produce cement for the country.”

The association has threatened to take legal action against the GHA if they fail to provide proof of the allegations levelled against products from the Shai Hills as the situation is affecting their business.

The spokesperson for the association said: “we don’t know why somebody sits at Ghana Highways and without proper proof say the materials coming from Shai Hills are not suitable for concrete works.

“So we are urging the minister to be involved in this matter to find out from the authorities in charge at Ghana Highways to prove to him and also prove to the association members that this material is not suitable for concrete works and if they can’t prove this, then the association members will not have any choice than to go to court for the Ghana Highways to come and prove to the court where they have done their test that proves that the materials from Shai Hills cannot be used for concrete projects.”


Source: Ghana/ClassFMonline.com