Saboteurs Pour Acid on Akyem Oda New Market Structure

A rare incident occurred at Akyem Oda last Monday when suspected saboteurs poured acid on a portion of a one-storey building, comprising 40 stores, being put up by the Birim Central Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region.
The acid was poured on the first floor of the building thus weakening the structure of the project which is located at the Oda new market.
By that act, the assembly is to incur an additional cost of GH¢20,000 to replace the concrete floor and structures.
Mr Bismark Osei Yaw, the site engineer of Somatrust company limited, an Accra-based construction firm, which is undertaking the project, disclosed this when he conducted journalists and the Birim Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Kwabena Nkansah Asare, round the project site to inspect the extent of damage.
According to Mr Osei, after close of work around 6.30p.m. last Monday, all workers of the company left for their homes having cast the first floor in concrete.
He said the workers reported back to work yesterday about 7.00 a.m. only to realise that a portion of the concrete that was laid the previous day was unusually wet.
The engineer said he invited his colleague from the municipal assembly, Mr Joseph Appiah Mintah, to witness the incident.
He said after a test had been conducted on the concrete, it was realised that acid had been poured on the cast to weaken the structure, which, he said, could only be the work of saboteurs.
Mr Yaw, therefore, explained that on realising the danger that the chemical substance could cause to the building, the company decided to replace the damaged concrete and iron rods to forestall any disaster in future.
According to Mr Osei, recasting of the concrete floor and replacement of iron rods would cost the assembly an additional sum of GH¢20,000.
The MCE, however, lamented that the additional cost would affect the finances of the assembly.
He said the matter would be reported to the police for investigations with the hope that the perpetrators would be arrested and dealt with.