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Prof. Kwasi Opoku Amankwa
Prof. Kwasi Opoku Amankwa

Don’t enter into contracts without knowledge of GES, heads of public educational institutions warned

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has warned heads of public educational institutions to stop entering into agreements, contracts and leases with individuals, associations and corporate bodies, without reference to the management of the service.

"It has come to the notice of management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) that several individuals, associations and corporate bodies have in the past entered and presently entering into contracts, agreements, leases and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with heads of public educational institutions under the management of the GES without reference to the management of the service," the Director-General of the GES, Professor Kwasi Opoku Amankwa, told the Daily Graphic in an interview in Accra.

Threats to management

He said a number of heads of public educational institutions had given contracts or entered into some forms of agreements with some corporate bodies and individuals who were now threatening management with lawsuits because those institutions did not honour their side of the agreement.

Prof. Amankwa cited instances where some of such institutions contracted people and companies to supply them with school jerseys, tables, textbooks, storybooks and school crests, among others, without the knowledge of the management of the GES and warned that the service would disassociate itself with any case that would arise out of a breach in the agreement.

He asked such individuals and corporate bodies to be mindful of the fact that heads of public institutions did not operate on their own but were guided by rules and regulations.

Caretakers

“The school does not belong to the head. The head is only put there to take care of the school on behalf of the management of the GES.

“And so, any such individuals or corporate bodies that enter into such contracts without the knowledge and endorsement of the management of the service shall not be expected to refer any issue of such contract to the service or school as an institution for any redress,” Prof. Amankwa said.

He said henceforth, no company should approach GES for payment of any services they offered for a school without the express permission of the GES management.

Prof. Amankwa said the management was compelled to pay some of such contracts, particularly so, because the schools concerned had taken delivery of the goods and management could not ask that the items be returned.

He, however, insisted that in such instances, management only paid the principal and any interest the amount attracted had to be paid by the head, expressing concern that in all such instances, the heads never followed the government procurement policy.

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