Following months of silence on the controversial Bamia Primary School construction, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo announced on Thursday that it was completed. However, a visit to the site yesterday by Regional Chairman of Region 10 Deron Adams revealed that this was not the case.
Jagdeo declared at the press conference, “… the Bamia School that the Hits and Jams people got, well the school is finished now. It’s finished now”. However, according Adams as of yesterday, the schoolyard was not landscaped, there were still piles of sand at different spots and it has not been fenced.
Further, photos taken at the site revealed sacks of cement stacked in what might be a classroom, but was devoid of furniture. Some of them had burst open and spilled on the floor. Another similar room had piles of empty cartons and other pieces of litter.
In a different area, in what might be a closet, tangled lengths of electrical wires were just hanging. In the washroom section, doors were leaned up, unattached and the approach looked unfinished and dirty.
The contract for the construction of the Bamia Primary School, controversially awarded to St8ment Investment Inc, a consortium of entertainers and football promoters in November 2021. Originally given a 20-month timeline, the project has seen its expected completion date pushed back repeatedly, raising concerns about management and execution.
St8ment Investment Inc, formed just months before successfully bidding for the contract, has faced criticism for its lack of experience in large-scale public projects.
The company claimed that it was struggling with labour shortages and material sourcing, exacerbated by a booming construction sector in the region. After multiple delays, the completion date was extended to November 2023. That date also came and went.
In February 2024, an additional $127 million was allocated to expedite the completion of the school. Amid mounting concerns from opposition MPs Devin Sears and Jermaine Figueira regarding its budget allocation, Local Government Minister Sonia Parag assured during a budget debate that it would be finished by April 1, 2024. Parag stated that the project was “65% complete” at the time, even as reports indicated that contractors had missed multiple deadlines.
