Parly committee grills NSFAF over procurement discrepancies
• Top brass unaware of agreement terms
According to the fund's acting CEO, it 'wasn't his business' to question an agreement with One Call Solutions.
The Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) was at odds to explain why it enlisted One Call Solutions, a company responsible for the lease of farms, and tasked it to transfer sensitive documents relating to student funding from its old premises to its new headquarters.
Members of the parliamentary standing committee on public accounts questioned NSFAF acting CEO Kennedy Kandume on why the company is being maintained as a service provider when the fund’s top brass do not know under what terms One Call Solutions had initially been sourced to provide documents to the fund.
He was also grilled on why NSFAF proceeded to sign a service level agreement (SLA) with the company to continue providing services to the fund.
Committee chairperson, United Democratic Front (UDF) lawmaker Dudu Murorua, asked Kandume whether the contract entered into with One Call Solutions had been scrutinised.
“How was this company contracted? What process was followed, even if it is a process that was done by the ministry?” he asked NSFAF’s management.
Kandume was also asked what conditions NSFAF pegged its agreement with One Call Solutions on when it had no documentation at hand to show how it was awarded the tender.
We don’t know
Responding to the questioning, Kandume said the fund’s management did not know what conditions were agreed to when the contract with One Call Solutions was entered into.
“We do not know it was acquired; we do not have documentation talking to how the services of this company was acquired,” he said.
“It was back then in 2013 or whatever year. We looked for documents in our possession and have no documents how this company was acquired,” he added.
No effort was further made to understand how the company came to provide services to NSFAF on the part of the fund’s management, Kandume conceded.
“I don’t really think it would have been my business or any business of any member of management to go and enquire how company X was acquired. It’s something that never crossed my mind,” he said.
Shortcomings
Kandume was then pressed on why an agreement had been concluded with One Call Solutions without the fund having historical knowledge of the company.
“The company was already providing that service. It is my understanding that they were already moving files, the SLA just finalised that.
“I never saw that contract, therefore I cannot say there were shortcomings,” he said.
Lawmakers are expected to continue questioning the fund’s top brass today as part of hearings into NSFAF’s activities.
Members of the parliamentary standing committee on public accounts questioned NSFAF acting CEO Kennedy Kandume on why the company is being maintained as a service provider when the fund’s top brass do not know under what terms One Call Solutions had initially been sourced to provide documents to the fund.
He was also grilled on why NSFAF proceeded to sign a service level agreement (SLA) with the company to continue providing services to the fund.
Committee chairperson, United Democratic Front (UDF) lawmaker Dudu Murorua, asked Kandume whether the contract entered into with One Call Solutions had been scrutinised.
“How was this company contracted? What process was followed, even if it is a process that was done by the ministry?” he asked NSFAF’s management.
Kandume was also asked what conditions NSFAF pegged its agreement with One Call Solutions on when it had no documentation at hand to show how it was awarded the tender.
We don’t know
Responding to the questioning, Kandume said the fund’s management did not know what conditions were agreed to when the contract with One Call Solutions was entered into.
“We do not know it was acquired; we do not have documentation talking to how the services of this company was acquired,” he said.
“It was back then in 2013 or whatever year. We looked for documents in our possession and have no documents how this company was acquired,” he added.
No effort was further made to understand how the company came to provide services to NSFAF on the part of the fund’s management, Kandume conceded.
“I don’t really think it would have been my business or any business of any member of management to go and enquire how company X was acquired. It’s something that never crossed my mind,” he said.
Shortcomings
Kandume was then pressed on why an agreement had been concluded with One Call Solutions without the fund having historical knowledge of the company.
“The company was already providing that service. It is my understanding that they were already moving files, the SLA just finalised that.
“I never saw that contract, therefore I cannot say there were shortcomings,” he said.
Lawmakers are expected to continue questioning the fund’s top brass today as part of hearings into NSFAF’s activities.
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