Education Ministry demands refund over GALOP project : But company requests full payment
The Ministry of Education (MoE) has requested Messrs Tanit Limited, an IT company, to refund all payments made to it for failing to meet the terms of a contract signed between the two parties on July 26, 2021, a letter dated June 22, 2022, sighted by the Daily Graphic, has revealed.
The Ministry said the company did not perform its obligation under the contract agreement, which was supposed to be completed within five months.
However, in a letter dated June 24, 2022, the Executive Director of Messrs Tanit Limited, Kwame Aduansere, described the request for refund as an act of bad faith and a breach of the procedures stipulated in the contract.
"Respectfully, we find the current development and your request, an act not in good faith and not in consonance with best practice, and also a breach of the procedures stipulated in the contract.
"M/S Tanit Limited, having performed its part of contract and evidence same, being in your custody since February 14, 2022, hereby request full payment of all outstanding payments on or before June 29, 2022, or we shall be compelled to take all necessary steps for the MoE to fulfil its part of the contract," the letter stated.
Award of contract
The ministry, in a letter dated July 19, 2021, and signed by the sector Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, awarded Tanit Ltd a contract for consultancy services for the provision of a digital teacher training content and platform worth GH¢5,727,436.45.
The contract was to have been executed in five months in five deliverables, which the company was expected to submit a claim for work done at each stage and report for verification before moving to the next stage.
However, in another letter dated June 22, 2022, the acting Chief Director of the MoE, Divine Ayidzoe, drew the attention of Tanit Ltd that “your contract with the ministry elapsed five calendar months after the contract date.
“We have noticed with dismay that your firm failed to meet the requirements of clause 42(2) of the Special Conditions of Contract within the specified period,” the letter stated.
However, the company, refuted the claim, and said it submitted to the ministry evidence of deliverable and a request for payment on August 24, 2021.
"The Ministry of Education, acknowledging and accepting the work done by M/S Tanit Ltd, paid the 15 per cent on October 22, 2021.
"This was two months after the Ministry of Education receipt of our deliverable. This was a clear breach of clause 42.2 of the contract payment schedule.
"M/S Tanit Ltd, taking cognisance of time lapse on the part of the Ministry of Education to fulfil its part of the contract obligation, continued its work and delivered its final report to the Ministry of Education on February 14, 2022," the letter added.
No wrongdoing
In a related development, Dr Adutwum said he did not do any wrong as far as the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP) was concerned.
According to him, the work under the project was done and certified by the World Bank, and “that is why the $1.2 million was released.
As I speak with you, it’s in our account here at the ministry to be used to revamp some facilities, education facilities in the GALOP areas.
“You hear people saying that the minister did not do the work.
My technical staff did the work, and I trust that they did the work and that UNICEF and the World Bank certified that they did the work,” Dr Adutwum said at a news conference in Accra last Friday.
“The money is here at the ministry; what crime have I committed against the Government of Ghana to be lambasted?” he asked.
“So, these faceless individuals should bow their heads in shame because Dr Adutwum would not do anything against the rules of the World Bank and the rules of the country.
I would not bring shame to Ghana; I would bring honour to this great nation of ours.
I believe our great days as a nation are ahead of us,” he emphasised.
Media
He charged the media to crosscheck their information concerning the issue of the GALOP before coming out since he was very accessible.
“Please don’t do the bidding of these faceless individuals. Come to me, ask me, I would provide you with all the information,” he said.
According to him, the five-year project, which would benefit 10,579 low performing schools had the “objective to improve the quality of education in low performing basic education schools and strengthen education sector equity and accountability in Ghana.
He said evidence pointed to significant inequities in access and quality of basic education in the country, and that “GALOP supports government efforts to provide equitable quality education through targeted interventions to the most disadvantaged schools and children across the country.
“It is a five-year project with the objective to improve the quality of education in low performing basic education schools and strengthen education sector equity and accountability in Ghana,” he said.