No deals between dept, firms

 EDUCATION Secretary, Michael Tapo told the media in a recent press conference that no National Capital District contractor have contracts with the department.

Tapo said that when queried on what the department had done to resolve the issue of unpaid NCD contractors.

He said according to records, there were no signed agreements between the contractors and the department. 

He said the secretary’s office had put its foot down to deal with those who have been paid money by the department in the last three or four years but were still pressuring the department. 

Tapo said there was no money budgeted for the contractors as it was not tendered for by the government. 

He said: “There will be names published in the newspaper and the amount they have received so public can scrutinise those companies. The department has had enough of being  used as all the NCD contractors for the last seven years have no contract with the secretary’s office or the department. 

“They have gone to school boards, principals or other people to negotiate work and because they are not getting money they are now pressuring the department.”

Tapo said the job of the secretary’s office was to look after children, teachers and schools and not people and giving them business or money.

Tapo said all officers who had been involved have been suspended and some more were yet to be suspended.