Management of the Bolgatanga Polytechnic has been charged to retrieve an amount of US$29,349.00 from Mr. Jacob Commodore, an instructor with the Industrial Art Department of the school who was granted two years study leave with pay in 2010 but failed to return to the school upon completion.
According to the auditor generals’ 2013-2014 report, Mr. Jacob Commodore was granted study leave with pay and sponsored for training at a cost of US$29,349.00 on the wings of Article 15.6(g) of the Conditions of Service (CoS) of the Polytechnic’s senior staff.
Employees granted study leave shall be made to sign bonds before proceeding on the course and in the event of default by the bonded staff, the estimated cost of the course plus its commercial interest must be paid to the School by such staff.
This however was not complied with following the failure of the said staff to return to the school. The report added that “After series of communications on the expiration of his study leave, management wrote terminating his appointment in September 2014 without requesting him or his guarantor to refund at commercial interest the cost incurred on his training.”
The auditor general therefore attributed the lapse to management’s failure to fully enforce the terms of the bond which is expected to be signed and adhered to strictly by staff who wish to undertake a study leave. This it added could lead to loss of financial resources.
Management of the polytechnic has therefore accepted to pursue Mr. Commodore and his guarantor and recover the total amount spent on his training including salaries paid him at commercial interest in adherence to the dictates of the Conditions of Service.
Land Acquisition
It also emerged that management of the polytechnic purchased two plots of land in Sumbrungu in October 2014 at a cost of GH¢20,000.00 without recourse to laid down legal land acquisition procedures.
Though there was an acknowledgement of receipt of payment of the amount by George Nsoh Akundikiya, the supposed land owner, there was no availability of necessary documentation for the acquisition of the land.
“The School risks losing the amount if it turns out at the Lands Commission that those who sold the land to the Polytechnic were not the rightful owners or that the area is earmarked for other purposes by the District Assembly,” the report added.
Management had indicated however that they have assigned the Development Officer to regularize the acquisition of the two plots to prevent the school from losing the GH¢20,000.00.
By: Azongo Albert | A1RADIOONLINE.com | GHANA
