Minority Pushes For Probe Into GH¢68.5m Allegedly Spent On Photocopying WASSCE ‘Pasco’

• The Minority in Parliament is calling for a probe into GH¢68.5 million allegedly spent on photocopying past questions for WASSCE candidates in 2020 and 2021
• The Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Adutwum had revealed that the photocopies were procured to assist students who had been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic
• But the Minority are not convinced, they are demanding the Special Prosecutor conducts a comprehensive investigation into the matter

The Minority in Parliament is demanding a probe into a whopping GH¢68.5 million allegedly spent on photocopying past questions for students writing the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 2020 and 2021.

This follows a revelation by the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum on the floor of Parliament on Monday, March 4, 2024 that the government had spent the money photocopying past questions for SHS students ahead of the WASSCE examination.

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This was to help them prepare adequately as schools had been shut down as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Minister stated that his ministry had incurred a cost of GH¢33.6 million in 2020 and over GH¢34 million in 2021 for this purpose.

Minister reveals photocopies were single-sourced

Mr Adutwum further revealed that the entire process had been carried out through single-source procurement.

He told Parliament that the government had given the contract to Messrs Kingdom Books and Stationery who delivered over 400,000 stationery at a unit price of GH¢78.00.

The procurement, he revealed, will be funded from the Free Senior High School Account.

Minority describes process as fraud

The Minority, however, are not satisfied with the Minister’s explanation.

Describing the entire procurement as a fraud, Member of Parliament for Ashaiman, Ernest Norgbey, says the issue has to be forwarded to the Special Prosecutor for further investigation.

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He said the NDC caucus in parliament considers the transaction as a potential corrupt act and that it must be addressed.

“We cannot countenance this, this is fraud. If this is not corruption, what else will be corruption?” he said.

WAEC withholds results of 194 schools

YEN.com.gh had reported that following the 2021 WASSCE examination, the results of 194 schools were withheld and scrutinised.

WAEC said the withheld results of candidates may be canceled or released based on the outcome of the investigations.

As a result of examination malpractices, a total number of 1,339 subject results and 174 entire results were canceled

The examination malpractices included bringing foreign material including mobile phones into the examination hall, tearing off parts of question papers, and collusion.

Source: YEN.com.gh