The attempts to link former Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, to the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) bordering on procurement of laptop computers for pre-tertiary education teachers in public schools, have fallen flat.
The minister at the time of the arrangements did not sign any contract on the procurement of laptops for the teachers.
However, the signatories to the said MoU that paved way for the procurement of the laptop computers were Mr. E. K. Gyasi, Chief Director of the Ministry of Education, Mr. Thomas Tanko Musah, General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and Mr. Eric A, Carbonu, President of National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and, another person from the Coalition of Concern Teachers (CCT).
Documents of the deal indicate that the MoU was signed on November 13, 2020 between the Ministry of Education, Teachers Unions and the supplier of the laptops, K. A Technologies Ghana Limited.
It is equally importance to note that, it was the Teachers Unions that engage the vendor for the supply of the laptop computers.
In September 2020, the leadership of the three teacher unions with membership strength of 350,000 sought funding support from the Government of Ghana through the Ghana Education Service (GES), for discussions with the Ministry of Education on the procurement and distribution of 350,000 laptop computers for its members.
Following the extensive financial requirement of the project, a cost-sharing between the Teachers Union and the Ministry of Education was proposed by the teacher unions, in which, the education ministry was to contribute 70% of the total cost whilst the remaining 30% was to be absorbed by the teacher unions.
Based on engagements between the Teachers Unions, a request for approval to use single-sourced procurement process to engage K.A Technologies Ghana Limited (a company engaged by the teacher unions) was made on November 17, 2020.
An approval to use single-sourced procurement method to engage K.A Technologies Ghana Limited for the supply of the computers at a unit cost of GH¢1,550.00 in accordance with Section 40 (1) (d) of Act 663 as amended, was communicated to the education ministry in a later dated November 20, 2020, after which the MoU was signed between the Ministry of Education, the Teacher Unions and K.A Technologies towards the acquisition and supply of the laptop computers.
The supplier which had since changed its original name from NSV Ghana Limited to K.A Technologies Ghana Limited, is an indigenous private limited liability company duly registered and incorporated under the Companies Act 1963, Act 179 on October 19, 2016, an indication that the company was formed before 2020.
The company had a change of name by a Special Resolution and with approval of the Registrar of Companies on May 13, 2020. The company is primarily into the supply, maintenance and repair of ICT devices, as well as, provision of technical training and development.
It is of importance to emphasize that the unit price of the laptop was GH¢1,550 and not GH¢1,851 as was falsely peddled; and it is not accurate for anyone to suggest that the procurement process for the project were marred with breaches.
