Group To Sue Statistical Service, Agric Ministry Over Debt

A group calling itself Coalition of National Enumerators and Supervisors (CONES) are asking the Ghana Statistical Service and Ministry of Agric to pay the remaining 45percent of their contact sum or face the devil in them.

According to the group, they were contracted as field officers to collect data nationwide beginning 30th April 2018 to August 28th, 2019.

The group said, 15percent and 40percent were paid them in tranches with the remaining lump sum (45%) to be paid upon completion.

In a statement signed by the group President Ofosu Ansah Martin, getting the remaining 45prercent due them has become a tag of war after the work has been satisfied and accepted with all equipment returned.

“We shall not sit by and watch The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) embark on another data collection campaign whiles it still owe officers of the previous exercise. As the adage goes “additional sheep is not dispatched to grazing field whiles a flock is already on field grazing”. Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) and the Ministry of Food And Agriculture (MoFA) should pay the remaining amount due us in not more than two weeks counting from the day of this release, lest we sleep and share same meal with them in their headquarters,” he stated.

Read full statement below:

Press release

August 28th, 2019

Coalition of National Enumerators and Supervisors (CONES)

The coalition made up of enumerators and supervisors, contracted by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), in collaboration with the Ministry of Food And Agriculture (MoFA) dated 30th April 2018.

After going through the thick and thin, we successfully completed the work officially on 8th February 2019, fulfilling our part of the contract we signed. The work was in two(2) phases. It was clearly stated in our contract letter of the phase two(2), that “payment of the final tranche of the lump sum would be made available upon satisfactory work done”. The payments as clearly stated in the contract was to be done in three instalments, which is 15%, 40% and 45% of the lump sum upon satisfactory completion of the assigned task and being cleared by the service as stated in the contract we signed. The 15% was paid, the 40% was also paid even though there were some delays. After the satisfactory completion and being cleared by the service as stated in the contract, our 45% payment of the lump sum was delayed and split up into two which is a clear breach of contract. 25% of the remaining 45% has been paid. We are now left with 20% of the 45% to be paid and that is what we are calling for. The contract letters in question, were given to field officers by their supervisors after two months when work has already begun and some field officers almost done, which is another clear breach of contract.

As field officers, we clearly remember times when the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) synched back data to field officers to revisit the enumeration areas at our own cost. Upon the submission of data collected to the sever at the Ghana Census of Agriculture (GCA) headquarters without any raised red flags, field workers/various regions being cleared and handing over of our field gadgets made us believe that our hard work is deemed satisfactory.

As a Coalition, we do hereby state categorically that;

1. We shall not sit by and watch The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) embark on another data collection campaign whiles it still owe officers of the previous exercise. As the adage goes “additional sheep is not dispatched to grazing field whiles a flock is already on field grazing”.

2. Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) and the Ministry of Food And Agriculture (MoFA) should pay the remaining amount due us in not more than two weeks counting from the day of this release, lest we sleep and share same meal with them in their headquarters.

3. They risk facing a law suit for contract breaches and their negligence of duties.

Signed

Ofosu Ansah Martin

(President)

Coalition of National Enumerators and Supervisors (CONES)

Mob: 0546964523

Cc.

The government of Ghana

Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA)

Ministry of Finance

Ghana Statistical Service

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Ghana Police Service