Education Ministry Rebuffs Claim It Spent GH¢68.5m On WASSCE 'Pasco' Alone

• The Education Ministry has been rebuffing claims it spent GH¢68.5 million on WASSCE 'pasco' photocopies
• According to the PRO of the ministry, the money was spent on printing, supplying and distributing revision books to the WASSCE candidates
• He said the earlier claim of using all the money on photocopies is misleading

The Public Relations Officer of the Education Ministry, Kwasi Kwarteng has rebuffed claims that the ministry spent GH¢68.5 million on WASSCE ‘pasco’ photocopying.

This follows calls for a probe by the Minority in parliament concerning some GH¢68.5 million allegedly spent on photocopying past questions for 2020 and 2021 WASSCE candidates.

However, debunking the allegation in a Facebook post, Kwasi Kwarteng explained that the mentioned amounts were not for photocopying past questions.

He explained that the money was used for printing, supplying and distributing revision books to the WASSCE candidates, thus the previous claim that all of the money was spent on past questions is inaccurate and misleading.

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He said the funds had also not gone solely to Messrs Kingdom Books and Stationery Company Limited as had previously been reported.

He stated that in 2019 the funds had been used to engage both Messrs Kingdom Books and Stationery Company Limited and Messrs Aki-Ola Publications Company for the supply of 207,000 revision books for Senior High Schools at an estimated cost of GH¢40 each.

He added that 361,755 copies of study guides for SHS students were also procured from Kingdom Books and Stationery Company at a cost of GH¢75 per booklet, and subsequently in 2021, the Ministry engaged the company again for 446,957 revision books at the cost of for ghc78 each.

Minority demands probe into procurement

The Minority in Parliament are however not pleased with the explanation being given concerning the procurement.

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Despite the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Adutwum stating that the photocopies were procured to assist students who had been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Minority says the deal reeks of corruption and must be probed.

They have called on the Special Prosecutor to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter.

Ghanaians vexed by GH¢68.5 million for WASSCE ‘pasco’

Following the Education Ministry’s revelation, YEN.com.gh reported that some Ghanaians are expressing their anger over the news.

In a series of posts online, Ghanaians were shocked by the amount spent by the Education Ministry on past questions.

Some netizens called on the government to cancel the Free SHS programme to bring an end to the huge spending.

Source: YEN.com.gh