By Kingsley Mamore
Dambai (O/R), June 26, GNA – Staff bungalows constructed for the Oti Regional Coordinating Council (ORCC) in Dambai remain unoccupied several years after completion due to the absence of electricity connection to the facility.
A visit by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to the site revealed that the residential buildings, which were completed before 2024, remain vacant despite being structurally ready for occupation.
The bungalows, fitted with red roofing sheets and enclosed by a perimeter wall, showed no signs of habitation, while the compound had become overgrown with weeds.
Information gathered by the GNA indicated that the facility is yet to be connected to the national electricity grid, with the installation of a transformer reportedly remaining outstanding.
The delay has prevented the ORCC from allocating the accommodation to staff for residential use.
The housing project was undertaken to provide official accommodation for personnel of the Regional Coordinating Council and reduce government expenditure on rented residential facilities for public officers stationed in the regional capital.
Currently, several staff members continue to reside in privately rented accommodation in and around Dambai, while the completed bungalows remain unused pending the provision of electricity and related utility services.
Residents and stakeholders, who spoke to the GNA expressed concern over the prolonged delay, noting that completed government infrastructure should be put to use promptly to ensure value for public investment.
They observed that prolonged non-utilisation of public facilities could expose them to deterioration, encroachment, theft of fittings, and additional maintenance costs, thereby undermining the intended benefits of the project.
Development experts have consistently emphasised the need for effective coordination among implementing agencies, utility service providers, and government institutions to ensure that supporting infrastructure such as electricity and water connections are completed alongside construction works.
Some stakeholders have therefore called on the relevant authorities, including the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Oti Regional Coordinating Council, to expedite the processes required for the installation of the transformer and the connection of power to the facility.
They said early occupation of the bungalows would improve staff welfare, enhance operational efficiency, and reduce the financial burden associated with renting accommodation for government workers.
According to Mr Prince Latif Oyejunle, Assistant Director of ORCC, the electricity is expected to be extended from the national grid at the Nkwanta Junction to the newly constructed ORCC office block before being connected to the staff bungalows located behind the office complex.
“The power is supposed to be connected from the national grid to the ORCC office block, and the same supply will then be extended to the bungalows. Until that process is completed, the facilities cannot be occupied,” he explained.
He noted that although the bungalows were structurally completed some time ago, they remain uninhabitable without electricity and other essential services, and the ORCC is expediting action for early occupation.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah /Kenneth Odeng Adade