The functioning of the University of Guyana has been considerably affected by tainted procurement processes, a state of affairs which was listed among the damning findings of a recently concluded special audit within the Bursary.At a press conference on Tuesday, Vice Chancellor, Professor Jacob Opadeyi, disclosed that of grave concern is the fact that the University hadn’t a standard contract document in place, thereby allowing for contract clauses to vary from contractor to contractor.“You will see one clause in one person’s contract and it is different in another…If a contract is for Mr ‘A’,
China Jerseys, some clauses are put into that contract and if it’s for Mrs ‘B’ they take out those clauses, so there is no standard document.”UG Vice Chancellor,
Cheap Jerseys From China, Professor Jacob OpadeyiAdded to this, Professor Opadeyi revealed that contracts were not being subjected to legal reviews in order to protect the interest of the University.He spoke of a particular finding, uncovered by University of the West Indies financial experts – who conducted the special audit on a Pro bono basis – whereby a contract for the sum of $500,000 presented some obtrusive inconsistencies. The contract, which catered to the refurbishment of a classroom within the Technology Building, was executed in 2011.However,
Cheap NFL Jerseys China, according to the Vice Chancellor, not only was the contractor’s name in the agreement different from the person who signed the contract, but the cheques written were to persons other than those two.Citing another analogy, Professor Opadeyi explained that the University had awarded a contract for certain works to be done and had even paid the contractor the first instalment. However,
Wholesale Jerseys Cheap, the findings of the special audit revealed that there were no deliverables as it relates to that contract. The Vice Chancellor noted though that “we did not go back to collect the first cheque that we paid the contractor and up to today that work was not done.”And since there has been failure on the part of the University to implement a formal contract system, the Professor observed that this could see the tertiary institution being subject to legal risks, including contract fraud and the inability to enforce contractual obligations.As such, the University had found itself vulnerable to financial losses and further complex legal issues if attempts were made to enforce contracts. Further still, there was evidence of lack of proper monitoring of the quality of the work, even while contract works were in progress.The findings of the audit also reflect that there was insufficient monitoring of amounts paid in advance for procurement of goods, and according to Professor Opadeyi, “we have a situation where we are still a cash society and so we give somebody $5 million to buy something needed for a department…There is no effort made to ensure that the person actually bought what they say that they were going to buy or make sure that they give us all the receipts for the procurement.”“It is okay to give a truck driver $4 million for his services without receiving a receipt, but you cannot operate like that,” insisted the Vice Chancellor, who disclosed that several procurements are yet to be balanced.He highlighted that there are a number of ways in which the University has not received value for financial advances since “we give funds for people to buy things, but we are not in the position to know whether we got everything and whether the proper checks and balances have been put in place.”“Goods could have been received, but the cost not declared to the relevant expense accounts, and what will follow is an inaccurate financial statement,” Professor Opadeyi pointed out. He said that it was such perceptible concerns that led him to call for the initiation of the special audit.He intimated that it was one month after assuming the position of Vice Chancellor earlier this year that he was able to detect financial deficiencies.“When I joined the University and I asked ‘can I see the financial statement of the University’, of course, the first thing (said) was ‘Vice Chancellor what do you need that for?? You are not the boss!’”However, Professor Opadeyi said that he was required to emphasise that as the Chief Executive Officer of the University, “I must see the financial statement on my table every week.”It was following this request that he was confronted with a daunting situation where “I get one figure in the morning around 9, and by 10am I would get a new figure that is totally different from the one at 9, and by 2 in the afternoon the same day there is a different figure…and the changes are so glaring”.He noted that since the situation
