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The Minority in Parliament is demanding a thorough investigation into the alleged spending of GH¢68.5 million on photocopying past questions for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) candidates in 2020 and 2021.
According to the Minority, the Ministry of Education reportedly spent GH¢33.6 million in 2020 and over GH¢34 million in 2021 on photocopying past questions, both through single-source procurement.
Addressing the media, Ashaiman Member of Parliament, Ernest Norgbey, expressed concern over the alleged expenditures, describing them as potential corrupt practices that require urgent attention from the Special Prosecutor.
Norgbey stated, “We cannot countenance this, and this is fraud. If this is not corruption, what else will be corruption? A photocopy to cost GH¢78 per paper, GH¢59.10 per paper, totalling GH¢68.5 million, what are we doing? And so, we in the Minority are taking strong exception to this, and we are saying that the Special Prosecutor must look into this matter.”
In response, Minister of Education Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum disclosed in Parliament that the government had indeed spent the mentioned amount to photocopy past questions for SHS students to aid their preparation for the WASSCE.
Dr. Adutwum explained, “To help prepare the final year Senior High School students for the 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), the Ministry has procured 446,954 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) questions from Messrs Kingdom Books and Stationery at a unit price of GH¢78.00. The procurement will be funded from the Free Senior High School Account.”
He added, “In 2020, Government through its efforts to help students amidst COVID-19 to prepare for the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination procured 568,755 past questions for students to try their hands on before sitting for the actual exams.”
