Dr. Osei Yaw Adutwum, the Minister of Education, has dismissed claims of bribery and corruption in the World Bank-sponsored $1.2 million training program for public school teachers.
The money has not been spent, according to the Bosomtwe politician, since there are no shady deals in the training program.
He emphasized that the money in question was not even intended for teacher training, as indicated, and that his organization had pre-financed the training of 41,000 teachers before the World Bank released the funds.
Dr. Adutwum denied wasting the monies, claiming that the funds are still in the Ministry’s account.
He was accused by the Minority in Parliament of avoiding responsibility in relation to the $1.2 million training program.
The Minority claims that papers accessible to them show that the Ministry of Education claims to have trained 40,000 teachers on the digital literacy platform under the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP), which cost $1.2 million.
“Under the project, the government plans to spend $219 million on a comprehensive set of initiatives that will address issues ranging from teaching to learning in our schools.
“It is important to note, however, that the World Bank wrote to the Ghana Education Service in an effort to verify the accuracy of the Ministry of Education’s statements.” However, the Ghana Education Service (GES) seems to be ignorant of any such trainings in their answer.
“It is also surfacing that the Ministry of Education, directed by Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has neglected to answer to a number of World Bank enquiries, the most recent of which was allegedly submitted to the Ministry in January this year.”
“As the Minority in Parliament, we see the Minister’s loud silence and clear effort to avoid probity as disturbing and scandalous,” said Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, Ranking Member of the Education Committee, in a statement released on Thursday, May 26.
“The good news is that the money is sitting in the [Ministry’s] account as we speak,” the Minister remarked in response to the claims during a press conference in Accra on Thursday, May 26, 2022.
The Minister claims that the facts of the case have been misinterpreted.
“The funds were not intended for any kind of training.” The training was to be financed by us, and if we can demonstrate that we have a stake in the game and are dedicated to GALOP’s educational change, they would release the funds, which they have done. He said, “There is nothing improper here since the World Bank has cleared our money.”
Attempts to smear Dr. Osei Yaw Adutwum’s reputation were especially concerning, despite his promise to help the government revamp Ghana’s education system.
He insisted, though, that the claims would not discourage him from pursuing measures that would benefit the nation.
“So nothing can be farther from the truth than my overseeing a project that would not benefit Ghanaians; that will never be true, and I will never do it.”
“I didn’t come to this nation to do that; I came to assist and guarantee that the President’s aim of transforming the country’s education is realized.” You put in so much effort, and others who don’t care will do everything to smear your reputation,” he remarked.
Vincent Kubi is the author of this piece.