A Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament Dr. Clement Apaak, has served notice that the Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum would be summoned before the House to answer questions over the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcome Project’s estimated cost of $1.2 million for some 40,000 teachers.
The lawmaker who represents the constituents of Builsa South explained that there was the need for a Parliamentary probe into allegations that the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum supervised the project.
According to him, the former Education Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and Dr. Adutwum have contradicted each other on the matter.
The legislator warned if care was not taken, Ghana could be blacklisted by the World Bank should the Minister fail to provide clarity on the allegations.
“If we don’t hold this well and get to the bottom of it, we will be blacklisted because we know these institutions. When they give you money there are some guidelines, protocols and procedures and if you don’t meet them, your nation could suffer.”
“Like it or not, we speak of Ghana Beyond Aid but we are still being supported by and large by donor countries and institutions. Given the quantum of the amount involved, $1.2 million, you can imagine the kind of impact this would make and the penalty we could suffer as a nation if we do not get to the bottom of this issue.
“The story broke yesterday so as a member of the Education Committee, we are trying to digest it but my initial position is that the Committee should be summoning the Minister else it will have serious implications,” he said.
It has also emerged that the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Prof Kwasi Opoku Amamkwa was not aware of the training of the teachers despite claims by the Education Minister that the GES was aware.
Further, the Ministry also delayed in responding to the issues as requested by the World Bank for four months, a situation which made the World Bank officially write to GES asking for further details on the matter.
NAPO reacts
Meanwhile, former Education Minister Dr, Matthew Opoku has revealed that under his watch as Education Minister, the Ghana Education Service (GES) did not undertake the Teacher training component of GALOP to warrant our claim for the said $1.2m from World Bank.
He clarified that ”The Digital Teacher Training under the KATechnology Teacher Laptop Program must not under any circumstances be confused with the GALOP Teacher Digital Literacy training program under National Teachers Council. KAT digital training isn’t a substitute for GALOP training. These are two different training programs.
As Education Minister, I negotiated both programs and know that they are not the same.”
For this reason, Dr. Apaak wants the Minister to be probed on the matter.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
