Editorial

Auditor-General cites Sefwi Wiawso collage of Education Principal for wrongful abrogation of contract

Principal of Sefwi Wiawso College of Education, Dr Emmanuel Carsemer, has been cited by Auditor-General for abrogating the contracts of SarfoTrading valued at GH¢171,584, for the supply of food items without justification and re-awarded it to B Venture for GH¢185,185.

This resulted in an increase in contract price by GH¢13,601 contravening section 7 of the Public Financial Management Act 2016, Act 921.

“We recommend that Dr Emmanuel Carsemer, should refund the amount of GH¢13,601 to the college,” the Auditor-General (AG) report on pre-university educational institutions for the financial year ended December 31, 2019 recommended.

It again noted that, Sefwi Wiawso College of Education awarded contracts worth GH¢269,778.99 to B Bert Ventures for the supply of goods and services in contravention of Section 40 of the Procurement Act as amended and recommended that Dr Carsemer should be sanctioned in accordance with section 92 of the Procurement Act 2003.

These were some major findings made against Sefwi Wiawso College of Education, led by Dr Carsemer on Monday, when he and his team appeared before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament (PAC) on the first day of a three-day sitting in Takoradi, to consider four AGs report referred to the committee from the Central, Western and Western North regions.

The AG’s report further stated that management of Sefwi Wiawso College of Education failed to collect rent of GH¢10,897 from 24 officers occupying the college’s bungalows with some having defaulted up to 120 months, violating Regulations 46 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 LI 2378.

“We recommend that management should adopt measures including deductions from their salaries and allowances to recover the arrears.” the report added.

It continued “We note that Sefwi Wiawso College of Education made unsubstantiated payments with a total face value of GH¢61,438.35 contrary to Regulation 78 of the PFMA Act 2019, LI 2378. We recommend that the head of the institution should refund the amount to the school’s account.”

Commenting on the report on procurement, the Member of Parliament for Bole-Bamboi, Yusif Sulemana said, Dr Carsemer breached the Act stressing “that’s what the auditors are saying, but, it seems we have not taken this serious.”

On the supply of food items, he argued that “Whether in writing or not, there is a contract. You had a kind of relationship with Sarfo Trading and so there was a contract. You have questions to answer. Don’t ask us questions. The contract allows you to proceed with the processes and you breached that so the auditors are right.”

Chairman of PAC, James Avedzi said Dr Carsemer and his team should have allowed Sarfo Trading to supply the food items since they quoted a lower price, but, they decided to select B ventures.

“You should be sanctioned and so you need to refund that amount because you breached the procurement Act,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Mr Avedzi expressed his disappointment about the attitude of 46 staff of  Komenda College of Education for not paying rent for 13 months totalling GH¢20,027, and asked whether they could afford the luxury of staying in town.

He, therefore, told the management to recover the said amount.

There was also16 Pay Vouchers covering nine staff of the college amounting to GH¢100,299.50 representing imprest which were not retired, PAC Chairman quoted the AG’s report.

He said that “the cause of the anomaly was attributed poor supervision by management and the inability of the accountant in ensuring that imprest was retired as required.”

Mr Avedzi said “Three staff of the Komenda College of Education defaulted in repayment of salary advances of GH¢10, 881.”

END

Pic 1,2,3Mr Avedzi (left) asking questions at the PAC sittings in Takoradi. With him, (second, left),  Western Regional Minister, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah and (second rt), Ranking Member, Kofi Okyere Agyekum and Member of Parliament for Fanteakwa South. Pics 4,5 clerk leading heads of College of Education to swear the oath.

FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, TAKORADI

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