The Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation (MHETI) said it assures the nation that it remains committed to fighting corruption and building an ethical country.
This comes after Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda, earlier this week accused MHETI Minister Itah Kandjii-Murangi of improperly profiting from three State institutions within the Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation.
According to various reports, Amupanda accused the minister of unduly gaining about N.dollars 1.5 million in travel expenses from three State institutions under the Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation.
The institutions are the Namibia Training Authority (NTA), Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) and the University of Namibia (UNAM).
MHETI in a press release issued on Wednesday stated, that internal administration processes were followed in all payments made to Kandjii-Murangi.
Public institutions and the government approach each other in covering costs of political office bearers and staff employees attending events outside of their duty station, including both inside and outside the country, it said.
“Kandjii-Murangi was formally invited to a number of events last year as well as this year, that were duly approved, authorised, and funded as per the internal processes of the government,’’ the statement read.
These events included the Conference of Ministers of Education in South Korea, which focused on youth development and entrepreneurship and the 60th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence as a member of the Namibian official delegation.
Kandjii-Murangi was also invited by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences to New York, United States, to address a side event at the margins of the 67th session of the Commission on Women’s Status on the ‘Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and Access’.
“The UNESCO Office also invited the Honourable Minister to Paris, France. The cost of the event was paid for by the UNESCO Office in Paris; all expenditures, including accommodation, meals and incidental expenses, were covered by the inviting institution, according to rate 3 which states so,” the ministry said.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency