NAQEZ Calls for Thorough Investigation Into Procurement Irregularities At Ministry of Education HQ

National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) has urged Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to thoroughly investigate procurement irregularities at the Ministry of Education Headquarters regarding a non-functional E-census software from M-SAT, a private company.

According to available information, M-SAT was contracted to provide a comprehensive digitalized annual census software to facilitate the Ministry’s collection of educational statistics.

In a statement, NAQEZ Executive Director, Aaron Chansa noted that the 2023 Auditor General’s Report has unearthed disturbing anomalies in this transaction, which warrant immediate action by the Commission.

Mr. Chansa recalled that on 11th April, 2024, the Ministry issued a directive to all public and private schools to deposit K800 each into M-SAT’s account for the procurement of the product in question, and the expected amount of money from government schools alone was over K8.5 million.

“However, the Ministry’s officers who participated in the questionable transaction failed to adhere to the provisions of the Public Procurement Act. The Auditor General’s Report indicates that M-SAT was engaged and paid without any formal procurement processes, which is a serious breach of procedure”
“Making this matter worse, M-SAT failed to provide the necessary training to Ministry of Education staff in seven provinces and by 30th June, 2024, the Ministry had abandoned the software due to its non-functionality,” Mr. Chansa noted.

He emphasized the need for the Anti-Corruption Commission to urgently launch a thorough investigation to uncover the truth behind this procurement.

“Should the investigation confirm any wrongdoing as outlined in the Auditor General’s Report, NAQEZ demands that M-SAT refunds all the schools that contributed K800, and that Ministry staff responsible for authorizing and facilitating the irregular procurement be taken to book.”

“As a nation, it is very important that we protect public funds, especially those allocated for education, from abuse. Public resources must serve the common good, not private interests, hence public servants, including politicians, must not misuse public funds for personal enrichment,” he added.