The Association of Furniture Suppliers in the Brong-Ahafo Region, has
given the Regional Coordinating Council (BARCC) up to September 30, to
pay contract monies to members, or face legal action. The members
claim they have not been paid contract monies since 2011. Addressing a
News Conference in Sunyani, Mr Sani Abdul Aziz, Regional Secretary of
the Association, said the Ministry of Education (MoE) through the
BARCC and the Architectural and Engineering Service Limited,
contracted members to supply furniture to some schools in the region.
Mr Aziz said after the supply, certificates covering some of them were
sent to the Secretariat of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund)
through the MoE. He said, when contacted, Mr Sam Garba, the GETFUND
Administrator, Mr Lee Ocran, former Minister of Education and Major
Tarah (Rtd), former Chief Director at the Ministry, maintained that
they were not aware of the contracts even though copies of the
contracts were made available to them. "Mr Garba informed us that
despite the infractions, he was prepared to pay for the contracts on
condition that a meeting was held between him and Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye
Marfo, former Regional Minister and the Deputy Regional Minister, Mr
Eric Opoku, to get some issues clarified before the payment could be
effected. "As small scale businesses, two years indebtedness has
brought untold hardships to us, because the inaction of the BARCC has
continued for a long time," Mr Aziz alleged. Members of the
Association are demanding GH ¢870,000,000 from the GETFUND, and an
additional GH¢3,000,000) from the MoE, being the cost of furniture
supplied.
