Some aggrieved workers of Busy Internet have petitioned the Ghana Revenue Authority to inform the tax agency about the refusal of the management of the company to meet its tax obligations to the state despite the huge profit that Busy Internet is making from its partnership contract with the Ministry of Education on the provision of internet service to senior high schools across the country amounting to millions of Ghana cedis.
The workers have also petitioned the Social Security and National Insurance Trust, SSNIT and the National Pensions Regulatory authority about the refusal of the internet service provider led by one Horpe Omotayo-Ojo, a Nigerian; who is also Group CEO and Chairman of Aguila Holdings Company limited, to pay their contributions.
A letter sent to GRA, and intercepted by the investigative team reads that “ we have our clients instructions to inform you that Busy Internet Ghana limited are in breach of the income Tax Act ,2015, Act 896 and the Revenue Administration Act ,2016, Act 915, by failing to pay the required income tax of our clients we are by this letter informing you to recover all taxes due the Authority and we expect that the Authority will exact all penalties and prosecute those responsible for transgressing the law to the letter , we are happy to assist in any way possible.
Another letter to SSNIT reads “we have our client’s instructions to inform you that Busy Internet Ghana limited are in breach of the National Pensions Act, 2008 Act766 by failing to pay the mandatory contributions provided under the Act. We are by this letter informing you to recover all contributions owed the trust from 2012 to date and we expect that the trust will exact all penalties and prosecute those responsible for transgressing the law to the letter.
Yet another letter to the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre , reads “ our understanding is that although there is a foreign shareholder in the company( Busy Internet Ghana Limited ) , the company has not registered with the Centre . We are by this letter requesting that you investigate this matter, and if your investigation shows that they have gone contrary to the law, we expect that you apply the law to the letter. Workers’ salaries have been in arrears for years, their pension deductions are not paid by the management of the company, a situation that has brought uneasy calm within the company. Reports also indicate that ATC has also disconnected Busy Internet due to its failure to pay for service provided.
Indications are that Busy Internet has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Education to provide internet services to all the government senior high schools across the country with a company called Yahlick (based in the UAE) providing the satellite devices for the project. According to our sources some of the services being provided to the secondary schools are very poor because Busy Internet Ghana limited has refused to pay Yahlick for the service being provided. It is estimated that out of a sum of GHS 22 million Ghana cedis owed Yahlick over the period, Busy Internet controlled by Horpe Omotayo-Ojo has paid only Ghc2million . In spite of the fact that the Ministry of Education constantly pays Busy for the Services rendered.
For instance, for close to 9 months, over 180 senior high schools across the country have not had internet to carry out both academic and administration duties according to verifiable data available. For on 11 February, 2022, at the Effiduase Senior High Technical School , internert service was disconnected. Same with Ayamfuri Senior High school on 20th January 2022 and Bawku Senior High School on 23rd February 2022. However, despite the inefficiency of service provisions , the government of Ghana through the Ministry of Education continues to fully pay for the service , which amounts to millions of Ghana cedis and has refused to investigate the issue that has been reported several times.
Reports are that because Horpe Omortoyo-Ojo refuses to pay Yahlick , the satellite service provider also disconnected the senior high schools intermittently . Latest being a disconnection that lasted from mid- June to September 20 (659 schools representing 66% of the total number of schools).So the point is that Government of Ghana is paying so much for internet service for senior high schools through the sweat of the tax payer but the services being rendered by Busy Internet as the ISP, is very poor and inefficient depriving students of quality education .
Allegations are that monies paid by the Ministry of Education to Busy Internet as part of the free internet , in senior high school project are chanelled into Aguila Holdings and further invested into other ventures including a company called Goahen Porsche/ VegPro , an agric business(with South African partnership)with large farms at Akuse through a special Busy Internet account which is different from the officials known Busy Internet Bank account.
The interesting part is that though all the state agencies Ghana Revenue Authority, (GRA) Social Security and National Insurance Trust, (SSNIT), Ghana Investments Promotion Centre(GIPC) , The Ministry of Education, National Pensions Regulatory Authority have been officially informed about the situation including the National Communication Authority , they are still refusing to act . The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is therefore being urged to instruct the GRA, SSNIT , GIPC and the rest to act and enforce the law and punish the culprits involved immediately.
When contacted for his reaction, Mr Horpe Ojo said “none of the information are true “
…Stay tuned.
