The Ministry of Education, led by Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has responded to allegations of service delivery failures and misuse of public funds regarding the Wi-Fi for Schools Programme. A report by The Fourth Estate claimed that the Education Ministry paid GH¢56 million to internet service provider Busy Internet, now Lifted Logistics Limited, despite some schools nationwide not receiving internet connectivity as promised.
The Ministry has vehemently denied these allegations, stating that the report is inaccurate and misleading. They emphasized that the Government’s educational transformation agenda, initiated in 2019, aimed to enhance internet connectivity in schools and educational offices nationwide to improve learning and administrative efficiency.
In response to the allegations, the Ministry highlighted that an upward review of monthly recurring costs for the Wi-Fi services was approved by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) in line with the contractual agreement. They emphasized that payment is only made for accessible dedicated internet, and downtime exceeding half of a month is not compensated for.
Furthermore, the Ministry stated that a Validation Committee, set up by the Minister for Education, vets all invoices before payment is made to the vendor to ensure transparency and accountability. For example, despite an invoice of GH¢6,498,827.90 submitted in February 2024, the Ministry only paid GH¢3,637,569.20 after vetting.
The Education Ministry’s press release aimed to clarify misconceptions surrounding the Wi-Fi for Schools Programme and assure the public of their commitment to efficient use of public funds and service delivery in education.
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