The Minority voices its demand for a comprehensive investigation into recent allegations concerning the education sector.
Ashaiman MP, Ernest Norgbey, stressed the urgency of a thorough probe by the Special Prosecutor to address potential corruption concerns highlighted by the caucus.
Norgbey emphasized, “We cannot countenance this, and this is fraud. If this is not corruption, what else will be corruption? A photocopy to cost GHS78 per paper, GHS59.10 per paper, totaling GHS68.5 million, what are we doing? And so, we in the Minority are taking strong exception to this, and we are saying that the Special Prosecutor must look into this matter.”
These concerns arise from recent revelations made by Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, during a parliamentary session.
Dr. Adutwum disclosed that in 2020, the Ministry spent GHC33.6 million and over GHC34 million in 2021 on photocopying past questions for Senior High School (SHS) students to aid in their preparation for the WASSCE. These past questions were procured from Messrs Kingdom Books and Stationery at a unit price of GHC78.00, with funding from the Free Senior High School Account.
Explaining the procurement, Dr. Adutwum stated, “To help prepare the final year Senior High School students for the 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), the Ministry has procured 446,954 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) questions from Messrs Kingdom Books and Stationery at a unit price of GHC78.00. In 2020, Government through its efforts to help students amidst COVID-19 to prepare for the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination procured 568,755 past questions for students to try their hands on before sitting for the actual exams.”
Despite the Minister’s explanation, the Minority remains steadfast in their pursuit of a thorough investigation. They emphasize the importance of ensuring accountability and transparency in the use of public funds within the education sector.
Source: https://www.ghanaweb.com
