Send team to investigate Education Department

 SOMETHING is wrong with the Education Department and to be more specific Secretary Michael Tapo has a lot to answer for.

Last week, we have seen the NCD contractors deciding to camp outside Fincorp House where the head office of the education department is housed.  

The contractors have asked for nothing but their outstanding payment for work being done under the RESI programmes.

However, the controversy lies with Tapo. 

Tapo being the longest serving member of the department working up the ranks should be more capable in solving the uprising from the contractors more than the others.

Sometime in 2013, he single handedly diverted K17 million, K10 million from inspection and guidance whilst K7 million from curriculum and standards were used to pay the contractors.  

He breached the Public Finance Management act by diverting funds earmarked for other functions and paid the contractors.  

For some mysterious reasons, Tapo was not penalised for this and today he is still the head of the education department.

This shows that something is rotting in the department.

How could it be seen as legal and rightful for the contractors to camp outside Fincorp’s gate and unduly hold the department and its staffs at ransom?  

I could only assume that there is something Tapo knows too well that he is finding it difficult to tell the rest of us.  

I urge the government to investigate the education department.

Unless some amount of truth is told, it is impossible for the government to pay the contractors their mammoth claims.  

3rd Watch

Waigani