The Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) are set on a collision course after the latter insisted it would not fund school projects sanctioned by a deputy Minister of Education, Mahama Ayariga.
Mr Ayariga had directed administrators of the fund to release GH?895,000 for the construction of three basic schools in the Bawku Municipality in the Upper East region. But a letter intercepted by Joy News and signed by GETFund administrator, Sam Garba, says the project is unsustainable and not an urgent need. He contends the cost is ?astounding?.
Public Relations Officer of the GETFund, Steven Bafoe, confirmed the correspondences to Evans Mensah on Joy FM?s Top Story Friday, noting, the ?problem? has to do with the prices quoted by the deputy Minister, which he claimed are ?far above what was agreed upon? ? which is GH?150,000.
?GETFund has no allocation for those projects at that cost … .We can?t pay for those classrooms at that price,? he recounted what had already been communicated to the ministry.
Already, there are 17 school projects in the three Bawku Municipality ? including Bawku Central where Mr Ayariga is seeking to be elected as the Member of Parliament, and the fund?s administrators think they are too many for one assembly.
Meanwhile, Mahama Ayariga, insisted the directive to the fund ?is normal; it is nothing out of the ordinary. Communities on daily basis troop to the ministry requesting for projects. The ministry then takes a decision, just like the situation with Bawku, and write to the appropriate quarters, he explained on Top Story.
Taking the issue one after the other, the deputy Minister said it was ?absolutely untrue? claims by GETFund administrator Sam Gariba that GH?150,000 is the approved amount for a six-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities.
He said a committee comprising GETFund, represented by their consultant Steve Akufo and Associates; Architectural and Engineering Services Limited (ASEL); and the Funds and Procurement Management Unit of the Ministry of Education, reviewed all the drawings and standardized the designs. Consequently, GH?251,941.29 was accepted as the ?base cost? for six-unit classroom block and ancillary facilities in Accra.
?If the school is further from Accra there is a provision for an adjustment to cater for the distance?and that percentage is in the neighbourhood of about 20-29%. And so when the Chief Director wrote to the Bawku Municipal Assembly, he took this base cost of GH?251,941 then adjusted it by that percentage and then came up with this figure? I am surprised at Sam Garba?s letter.?
Mr Ayariga is now seeking solace in the chief director at the Ministry of Education to clear him of any conflict of interest and breach of any agreement.
?? the right person to respond to the issue of this figure is the chief director of the Ministry of Education?I am at a loss where GH?150,000 as the maximum came up.?
However, anti-corruption crusader and Executive Director of Ghana Integrity Initiative, Vitus Azeem, said since Mr Ayariga is the deputy Minister of Education and gunning for the Bawku seat it is difficult to rule out a conflict of interest in this case.
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