More Accusations Come Between NTL and TEVETA Partnership
Chodzi (left), Mussa (center) and Chitsulo (right) address the press during a conference regarding the future of NLT and TEVETA’s partnership.
The saga between the Ndi Tsogolo Langa Organization (NTL) and the Technical Entrepreneurial Vocation and Education Training Authority (TEVETA) continues as NTL files a letter with TEVETA’s board demanding that they give any remaining money to NTL, or else the issue will go to court.
Previously, the NTL accused TEVETA of breaking the working Memorandum of Understanding, which the two organizations legally signed together in partnership to bring vocational skills training to the youth. Suspicions arose after TEVETA’s board allegedly granted money and then suspended the NTL’s Executive Director Dr. Ndione Chauluka, accusing him of working outside his mandate. This paved the way for an audit.
After an audit by the National Audit Office (NAO) that cleared Chauluka from the accusations, however, the general public became suspicious despite the fact that the government-funded NAO cleared the executive director.
NTL’s current Executive Director Joy Chitsulo told members of the press that the organization is disappointed with the board, claiming the issue is a straight-forward matter. NTL accused TEVETA board of using them as a scapegoat in the unfounded allegations of fraud.
“We will battle it in court once they fail to honor the MOU,” Chitsulo said.
The organization is demanding the board furnish the public with both the official High Level Report of March 2017 and the Investigative Audit Report of April 2017.
NTL says the release of the two documents will help the organization and the public appreciate the reasons behind the position of the TEVETA board to demand the reimbursement of MK $258 million.
Chitsulo, alongside NTL Technical Advisor Fyson Chodzi, accused the TEVETA board of being dishonest in telling the nation that they were not aware of the existence of the partnership between TEVETA and NTL.
The organization observed that the board’s statements issued in the local media contradict the previous position indicating that TEVETA will complete the remaining activities under dispute; however, the board accused NTL of not doing a proper job.
“We have suffered humiliation in the public eye due to the issues. This requires the chairperson of the board to explain to Malawians what basis the board used in determining the recovery of MK $258 million from NTL,” Chitsulo said.
On the other hand, Chodzi says the organization has therefore disputed any wrongdoing over the matter, arguing that the partnership and actions thereof emanated from the stated MOU, which still remains.
“The current MOU3 of October 11, 2016, is currently valid because TEVETA has not terminated the contract, and its board must make a resolution on the stand of the MOU3 and as NTL we demand the release of the remaining funds amounting to MK $32,165,900 under MOU3 of October 11, 2016, since NTL has accumulated debts to its trainers, and other service providers in the training areas and they expect to be paid,” Chitsulo said.
TEVETA has since issued a statement demanding that NTL pay back the money.
But NTL says it’s not possible since the MOU is still active.
More Accusations Come Between NTL and TEVETA Partnership was originally published on The Malawi Star
