Education Ministry to terminate $253M contract for Micobie School project

May 24, 2025 News

Kaieteur News- Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand has announced that her ministry will be terminating the $253 million contract for the construction of the Micobie Secondary School in Region Eight.

The minister made the disclosure while addressing the National Toshaos Council (NTC) Conference on Thursday, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

Education Ministry to terminate $253M contract for Micobie School project

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand at the National Toshaos Council Conference.

The $253,561,500 project was awarded to NK Engineering Services who won the contract through the national bidding process last year.

The minister told village leaders that while her ministry has been rolling out projects and programmes to provide an improved quality of education, it is experiencing some challenges.

Detailing one such challenge, she said, “we are about to terminate the contract for Micobie Secondary because the person who won that bid…we have problems with them finishing on time, we have problems with them doing it the way we want it done.”

She added that in some hinterland areas, the weather hinders the transport of materials to the project site. “Micobie has no legitimate reason in my respectful view and my considered view as to why he couldn’t start it so we have those challenges,” she said.

Back in July 2024, the minister along with her team turned the sod for the new school, the first in the village, and which was expected to benefit approximately 150 students.

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand alongside the contractor and regional officials turning the sod for the Micobie Secondary School back in July 2024.

Speaking at the simple ceremony, Minister Manickchand noted the importance of the school and told residents that they are to hold contractors accountable to deliver on their promise.

“We want him (the contractor) to give the work to you, we want you to benefit as far as you can, but we want the school. And he had to sign a contract that said how long he has to build the school and the quality he has to give us. So, you also have to be reliable and show up when you have to, because this is employment for you,” she said at the time.

This publication reported that the project was expected to be completed in six months. The school is said to feature a staff room for teachers and 10 classrooms, including five specialised labs for Science, IT, Home Economics, Visual Arts, and library services.

Kaieteur News had reported that the move to erect a school in the village was made in 2023 following the deadly Mahdia dormitory fire. The dormitory, before it was gutted by fire, once accommodated female students from Micobie and other villages who were attending the Mahdia Secondary School.

In August 2023, the minister told the Committee of Supply of the National Assembly that consultations with the community and relevant stakeholders revealed a reluctance to have another dormitory built at the Mahdia location.

A decision was instead made to construct a secondary school at Micobie that would cater to students from that community that were once residing at the dorms.

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Contract, Micobie Secondary School, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, NK Engineering Services., terminate

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