K49m for schools gone missing

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Thursday April 14th, 2016

 By PETER WARI 

A TOTAL of K48.9 million in rehabilitation of education sector infrastructure (RESI) funds for Southern Highlands and Hela have been missing since 2009, an official says.

A RESI taskforce team, headed by Southern Highlands and Hela Teachers Association chairman Robert Kaia, was set up in 2009 and presented documents on the findings to the Ombudsman Commission (OC) for further deliberations.

However, to date, nothing has happened and schools in the province are concerned as to when they would get feedback on the report. 

Kaia told The National that 12 booklets were produced by the task force after they visited all schools in the province. Those booklets had been presented to the OC.

“These millions of kina were meant to fix schools, mostly rundown schools in the province and the Government cannot turn a blind eye on the high level of corruption,” Kaia said. He said teachers, students and parents from the two provinces had been waiting patiently for results from the OC, but since then, no reports had been furbished.

“We always say we must fight corruption but when are we going to put words into action? OC must carry out its job,” he said. 

He said because of corruption, most schools in the two provinces were run down and teachers were living in houses with leaking roofs while students sit on floor under the thatched roofs.

He also said the Government’s free education policy was good but fees should be paid on time.