Manadhoo School's three-story building, which was in its final finishing stages during administration change, remains unusable
Construction of the three-story building at N. Manadhoo School, intended to alleviate space constraints, remains stalled in its finishing stages despite being overdue for completion. While the contractor attributes the suspension of work to unpaid dues, the government maintains that all financial arrangements have been settled. The ongoing delay has prevented the school from utilizing the new facilities for the start of the current academic year.
The three-story building at Manadhoo School, which commenced construction during President Solih's administration. | RaajjeMV | Raajje MV
Work on the three-story building at Manadhoo School has been stalled for over two years, despite the project being in its finishing stages at the time of the government transition.
In an interview with RaajjeTV, Manadhoo Council Member Moomina Solih stated that the construction project was initiated during former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s administration to address space constraints at the school. She further detailed that the project involves a three-story building designed to alleviate overcrowding. Once completed, the facility will house classrooms as well as a science laboratory and other specialized labs.
Moomina stated that when President Solih's term concluded and President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu assumed office, the building was already in the finishing stages of construction.
The project was scheduled for completion within one year and was awarded to Swift Engineering. At the time the current administration took office, the project was nearing its final stages, with finishing works already underway.Manadhoo Council Member Moomina Solih
Moomina stated that the work is not yet fully complete, with minor tasks still ongoing. She noted that while they had initially hoped to finish the building and have it operational by the start of the current academic year, information obtained from the council indicates that the project is now expected to be completed within the next two months.
During the past year, I met with the Ministry of Education to address the fact that this project remains incomplete after more than a year. At that time, I met with a State Minister. The Ministry claimed that the invoices had been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance, while the contractor maintains that work has stalled because payments have not been released. The reality is, we accept that materials cannot be procured without the necessary funds.Manadhoo Council Member Moomina Solih
Moomina stated that the President visited the island in July last year, about a week after her meeting with Ministry officials. During that visit, the Education Minister reportedly confirmed that all financial arrangements had been finalized. Moomina further noted that the President himself shared the same sentiment, expressing uncertainty as to why the project remained incomplete.
