MoE appeals to service providers to remain calm

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has appealed to service providers working under the ministry to exercise patience while efforts are made to pay them.

“The ministry is committed to discharging its core obligations to service providers… We are appealing to you to exercise restraint… we will pay you as soon as funds are made available,” Mr. Enoch Heymans Cobbinah, Chief Director of MoE said.

Mr. Cobbinah made the appeal when he appeared before the judgement debt commission to respond to claims for land compensations and non-payment of services rendered to the ministry.

Heads and representatives of the 19 agencies under the MoE were present.

He told the commission that a number of law suits against some of the agencies are pending in the courts and he was there to provide details with respect to date, amount and action taken so far about those claims.

He said many a time, the service providers had threatened the ministry with notice of intention to sue for failing to pay for contracts done, service supplied and delayed payment.

He explained that the delays were as a result of “cash flow” issues from the Ministry of Finance (MoF), and thus appealed to the service providers to be patient while the Finance Ministry works to resolve the issues.

Next to appear was the representative of MoF to respond to payment of Ghc340,000 judgement debt to “unidentified persons.”

In May 2014, the MoF said even though such payment was made to the beneficiary based on a court ruling, supporting documents were not readily available.

Mr. Kojo Awuah-Peasah, External Resource Mobilisation Officer of MoF, who stepped in for the Ministry said: “We have looked at our data base and not found any payment.”

He tendered a letter suggesting the Controller and Accountant General’s Department paid the amount into the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s (MOFA) account in the adb Bank, Cedi House, Accra, to enable the Minister pay land compensation.

Mr. Awuah-Peasah told the Commission that until MoFA provides more information on the payment the finance ministry is “handicapped” to give more details.