The Director of Finance of the Students Loan Trust Fund, Justice Wiafe Sarkodie, confirmed this during an exclusive interview in Accra.

“I can state unequivocally today that the legacy arrears component owed to us by GETFund, which has been a perennial challenge to our operations, has been fully liquidated,” he said.

The director said that the clearance encompassed all financial obligations accrued from 2017 when the Akufo-Addo administration begun, right up to present date.

“This demonstrates the government’s unwavering commitment to making tertiary education accessible to all citizens,” he added.

Situation

The accumulated arrears was compounded by a long-standing statutory funding gap.

While the SLTF Act stipulates receipt of up to 10 per cent of inflows into GETFund to support student loans, receipts from GETFund over the years had often accounted for less than three per cent of GETFund inflows, according to internal SLTF data.

This meant the actual funds received were not only delayed, but were also far below the required level needed to meet growing students demand.

The chronic underfunding resulted in staggering annual disbursement shortfalls, leaving thousands of students without full financial support.

For example, SLTF’s records shows that between the 2021/2022 and 2023/2024 academic years, the total unpaid loan amount stood at over GH¢ 244 million, with shortfalls of GH¢ 86.4 million for 2021/22; GH¢ 97.3 million for 2022/23, and GH¢ 60.4 million for 2023/24.

“The clearance of the liabilities, therefore, marks the end of the period of severe financial stress for the Fund, and provides a significant liquidity boost to SLTF, ensuring a stable and reliable stream of funding for student loans,” the director said. 

Significance

Mr Sarkodie further said that the injection of funds was crucial for the efficient and timely disbursement of loans, particularly as the Fund continued to implement progressive policies like the “No Guarantor” loan scheme.

“For students, this means an end to delays and uncertainty.

The financial challenges that often hampered the start of the academic year for beneficiaries due to cash flow issues are now largely mitigated.

“The government’s proactive approach, through the timely release of GETFund allocations, is directly strengthening the sustainability and impact of SLTF,” he said.

The director commended the leadership of both the Ministry of Education and GETFund for prioritising such essential financial reconciliation.

The move is expected to cement the SLTF’s position to expand its reach and increase the amount disbursed per student, ultimately easing the financial burden on tertiary students across the country.

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He bemoaned the practice where successive governments abandon projects started by predecessors and described the act as one that costs the taxpayer.

In this regard, the Minister has directed GETFund to compile an inventory of all uncompleted educational projects nationwide.

He also highlighted the need to rebrand the technical universities as valuable pathways for practical skills to career readiness.

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu made the announcement at the launch of the Government’s flagship education programme, dubbed the “No Fees Stress Policy” initiative, held at the SDA College of Education in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital.

The launch was performed by President John Dramani Mahama.

According to the Minister, one of President Mahama’s enduring legacies would be the introduction of the President’s Scholarship, which targets brilliant students in priority areas such as Science, Mathematics, and Engineering.

“So the President’s Scholarship for Scholarship would honour 10 brilliant students, determined and declared by the West African Examinations Council, as the overall best students in the country,” Mr Iddrisu stated.

“Then the President will absorb them to benefit from his scholarship for his full tenure.”

Touching on the “No Fees Stress Policy,” Mr Iddrisu said it was in fulfilment of President Mahama’s campaign promise to Ghanaians.

Describing President Mahama as a “fountain of honour,” he added, “Today, from that fountain, they will drink with the students in our first-year tertiary public institutions across Ghana.”

He also noted that the policy extends to persons with disabilities, whose fees would be fully paid by the Government.

The Minister disclosed that his Deputy, together with the Chair of the Federation for Disabled People, is working on a roadmap to ensure the smooth disbursement of funds for students with disabilities.

He added that in the next academic year, the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) would double its allocation to the Students Loan Trust—from GH₵70 million to GH₵150 million—to support students requiring further financial assistance.

The “No Fees Stress Policy” is aimed at boosting enrollment in the nation’s public tertiary institutions and will provide free tuition for all first-year students.

The event was graced by New Juaben Manhene, Nana Kwaku Boateng III, and New Juabenmanhemaa, Nana Juaben Serwaa III.

Source: GNA

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During his parliamentary vetting on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, Srem-Sai addressed questions raised by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin regarding his higher education abroad.

Srem-Sai explained that in 2017, while serving as a young lecturer at GIMPA, the institution selected him for the scholarship as part of its initiative to enhance the capacity of its teaching staff. Consequently, GETFund provided the necessary funding for his PhD studies in the United Kingdom.

His clarification comes as part of his vetting process to confirm his suitability for the position of Deputy Minister for Justice and Attorney General.

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Speaking at the National Education Forum in Ho, Volta Region, Mr Adjei emphasized that the nation’s heavy reliance on GETFund as the primary funding source is unsustainable.

He urged stakeholders to explore alternative financing models, including private sector investments, community-driven initiatives, diaspora contributions, endowment funds, philanthropic foundations, and development partnerships to support the construction, maintenance, and management of educational facilities.

Delivering a paper on “Government and Stakeholder Partnerships in School Infrastructure Development in Ghana” during one of the forum’s five breakout sessions, Mr Adjei highlighted the need for cost-effective and time-efficient solutions such as high-quality prefabricated materials in school construction projects.

He noted that these materials could significantly reduce costs and expedite project delivery.

The discussion also underscored the importance of fostering community ownership and involvement in school facility management and maintenance.

Additionally, participants advocated for a phased approach to large-scale infrastructure projects—especially at the tertiary level—to enable partial use of facilities before full completion.

The “Transforming Education for a Sustainable Future” forum was officially launched by His Excellency, President John Mahama, at the Volta Serene Hotel.

The President encouraged all Ghanaians to actively participate in shaping a comprehensive blueprint for education development.

The infrastructure breakout session was chaired by Prof. Samuel Attintono, Principal of Accra College of Education, with distinguished educationists Prof. Mohammed Salifu and Mr. Kwame Azu moderating the discussions.

Mr. Adjei holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Bergen, Norway, and a Postgraduate Training in Procurement from GIMPA.

He has extensive experience working with World Bank, African Development Bank, DANIDA, and European Commission-funded projects in Ghana.

He comes on board with vast knowledge and expertise that aligns with the vision of His Excellency the President for GETFund.

Under the theme “Supporting the Delivery of Quality Education in Ghana,” the event highlighted the achievements and execution of GETFund’s flagship projects.

The program was attended by management members led by Board Chairman, Professor Dominic Forbih, along with university lecturers, heads of schools, and students.

Speaking at the forum, GETFund Administrator Dr. Richard Ampofo Boadu explained that the purpose of the forum was to educate Ghanaians on the achievements of the trust fund. He highlighted how the fund’s operations have significantly impacted public education in Ghana.

Dr. Boadu noted that the core mandate of GETFund is to provide supplementary funding support across all levels of public education. He added that GETFund is guided by Act 581, which provides a distribution formula to ensure spending is fair and equitable, with certain critical areas ring-fenced to ensure they receive necessary funding support.

Dr. Boadu stated that the 2023-2024 academic year saw a notable increase in local scholarships.

He explained that the fund’s scholarship reforms have been fruitful, particularly in foreign scholarships, which increased from 104 awards at the graduate and undergraduate levels in 2017/18 to 352 in 2019/20. At the local award level, recipients at all levels rose from 333 in 2017/18 to 1,680 in the 2019/20 academic year, and to over 4,200 in 2022/23.

In addition, between 2019-2021, 2,718 vehicles were distributed to various agencies and institutions under the Ministry of Education. Over the same period, a total of 677,470 furniture items were provided to basic and secondary schools.

GETFund has, for over 15 years, supported scholars pursuing higher education at both local and foreign institutions in line with its mandate to enhance the quality of education in Ghana. Throughout its operation, the fund has sponsored more than 16,000 scholars at both local and foreign educational institutions.

Projects Initiated Since 2017 across all 16 Region

(2027 till date): 2,749 + Projects initiated across all 16 Regions

2,718  vehicles were distributed to various agencies and institutions under the Ministry of Education between 2019-2021.

A total number of 677,470 Furniture items have been distributed to basic and secondary schools between 2019-2021.

Introducing Getfund sponsorship & scholarships programme

GETFund has in the past 15+ years supported scholars attaining high education in various programmes at both local foreign institutions n-line with the Fund’s mandate to support the delivery of quality education.  The Fund in its lifetime has sponsored over 16,000 scholars to both local foreign educational institutions.

SPONSORSHIP & SCHOLARSHIPS CATEGORIES

INCREASE IN LOCAL SCHOLARSHIPS

5,026 Majority of local scholarship awards (estimated 74%) go to the public Universities

2023/2024 Academic Year – 5,026

2019/2020 Academic Year – 1680

Majority of local scholarship awards (roughly 74%) go to the public Universities

University of Ghana

University of Cape Coast

KNUST

GIMPA

UPSA

At the heart of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) Scholarship Programme lies a streamlined process that transforms aspirations into tangible opportunities for academic brilliance.

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME PROCESSES

REFORMS

With particular reference to its mandate to support education through the award of both local and foreign scholarships at undergraduate and graduate levels, the Fund has instituted several reforms to ensure transparency and effective outcomes.

• Streamlining eligibility criteria
• Digitize application process
• Emphasis on STEM subjects
• Increased support for Girl-child education (Giving extra weighting to lady applicants)
• Overhauled the bottlenecks that created the embarrassing situation of foreign scholars’ fees and stipends not being paid on time, with borrowing consequences.
• Scholarship programme monitoring.

Source: David Andoh

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This initiative was announced during the 2024 GETFund Stakeholders Forum, held in Accra under the theme: “Supporting the Delivery of Quality Education: The Impact of GETFund on Contemporary Education.”

The GETFund Administrator, Richard Boadu emphasized the critical need for effective oversight, revealing that in the past, a lack of monitoring allowed contractors and consultants too much freedom, often compromising project quality.

“We’ve recognized the gaps in our previous systems, and it’s time for change,” he stated.

The new monitoring software aims to ensure that all projects funded by GETFund meet high standards and are completed on schedule.

Mr. Boadu highlighted a major shift in operations: the establishment of a dedicated office to oversee projects in the Northern Sector, with the Kumasi office focusing on the Middle Belt Zone and the Accra office managing the Southern Zone.

This strategic realignment will enhance localized oversight and accountability.

He further noted that, the old practice of allowing one contractor to oversee multiple projects—sometimes as many as ten—has been discontinued.

“This approach often led to quality issues and delays. Now, contractors will no longer have control over multiple projects at once,” he explained.

This reform is expected to promote a more focused and responsible project management environment.

Under the current administration, GETFund has secured an impressive GHS 61.5 billion to address approximately 11,548 ongoing and new projects.

This robust funding commitment reflects GETFund’s dedication to improving educational infrastructure across the country.

As GETFund embarks on this new direction, Mr. Boadu reiterated their commitment to delivering quality projects without compromising the comfort and collaboration of consultants and contractors.

“We are here to support quality education in Ghana,” he concluded, signaling a new era of accountability and excellence in the delivery of educational projects.

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In an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Tuesday, he said GETFund has implemented a monitoring system that allows them to track students studying abroad and ensure accountability among contractors.

“We now have a system in place that allows us to monitor any student studying abroad as well as contractors. This ensures accountability in our operations” he said.

Dr. Boadu stressed the prudent use of funds, explaining that the 2024 budget has cleared all debts incurred up to December 2023.

“We have paid every contractor we owed as of 2023. Any debts owed to contractors will only be from 2024 onwards, and we have captured all these obligations in our budget” he said.

He reassured listeners that no contractor would come forward claiming that GETFund owes them, as all debts have been accounted for.

Currently, Dr. Boadu noted that GETFund’s total debt stands at approximately 900 million Ghanaian cedis.

However, he mentioned, “We have some funds that we need to recover, which exceeds our total debt.”

He further elaborated on the fund’s diverse financial responsibilities.

“We are committed to using our resources wisely, and sustainability is crucial in all our projects.” he said.

Dr. Boadu confirmed that all disabled students who applied for scholarships this year received support

“I’m pleased to report that our 2022 awardee is currently in the UK enjoying his scholarship,” he said.

The GETFund has also made strides in digitalization, ensuring that all their projects are digitized for better efficiency.

For the 2023/2024 academic year, the Ghana Education Trust Fund has extended scholarships to 5,026 students, marking a 15 percent increase from the previous year’s 4,276 awardees.

The scholarships cover tuition fees totaling GH¢33.74 million across 145 local tertiary institutions, both public and private.

Dr. Boadu concluded, “This demonstrates our commitment to education and supporting students across Ghana.”

GETFUND UPDATE

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This is to ensure adequate funding for the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy and address persistent issues such as the prevalence of schools under trees.

Speaking to Emefa Apawu on EduTalk, Mr. Kyeremeh stressed the need to allow GETFund to receive its full statutory allocation, which he believes is crucial for the holistic development of education in Ghana.

He argued that, the current practice of capping the fund has limited its potential impact on the education sector.

“If we really care about education, then the main statutory fund that’s funding education should not be touched. Imagine we have all the GHS7 billion? We’re also asking for the exemption from the budget. When it’s uncapped and it’s still in the budget, then we don’t get the full allocation,” he explained.

The NUGS President emphasised that if the full GHS7 billion generated by GETFund in 2023 were allocated entirely to the fund, many of the challenges facing the Free SHS policy, such as inadequate desks in classrooms, books, and other essential resources, could be effectively addressed.

Mr. Kyeremeh also indicated that the broader implications of adequately funding GETFund, will include the elimination of schools under trees and make significant strides in educational development across the country.

He called on the government to prioritise the uncapping of GETFund as a critical step towards ensuring that the Free SHS programme can continue to transform the lives of Ghanaian youth and contribute to the nation’s development.

“If you want to continue with this novel idea of changing the lives of the young ones to developers of this country, then one of the key areas you should be looking at is the uncapping of GETFund, which will give us funds to fund Free SHS, to be able to solve issues with schools under trees and other substantial issues with the development in our various institutions,” he added.

The student leader also revealed that the union met with the two major political parties – New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress – to make input into their manifestos ahead of the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections on December 7.

According to him, it will be an indictment on the union if it does not partake in policymaking and is looking at further engaging other political parties aside from the NDC and the NPP.

Mr. Kyeremeh further demanded that the next government must, as a matter of urgency, implement policies to tackle the bugging unemployment in the country, invest in agriculture to change the narrative of Ghana’s education.

This comes after a section of Ghanaians questioned how the 2024 flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama was going to fund the policy if he wins the election.

The policy was announced at the launch of the NDC’s Youth Manifesto.

According to Mr Mahama, this is part of a government initiative to lessen the burden on parents financing the cost of their children’s education.

Many critics have since cited the economic situation of the country and alleged that the former President was making empty promises to garner votes

But speaking on Joy FM’s Newsfile on Saturday, August 17, Mr Ablakwa said the Mahama administration would uncap GETFund to generate additional funds to finance the ambitious policy.

According to him, preliminary analysis has revealed that the cost of implementing the policy would range between GH₵250 million and GH₵300 million annually.

An amount, he insisted, can be attained if the capping law introduced by the incumbent government is reversed.

“We are saying that two things must happen to the GETFund, we must uncap and we must stop this Daakye Bond and collateralisation. The incumbent government introduced this capping law and what that law has done is that all the statutory funds have created a ceiling so not all funds go to the agencies. So whether it is GETFund, NHIA, and District Common Fund etc. the capping has limited their funds,” he explained.

Citing an example, Mr Ablakwa said NDC MPs were astonished to learn that, despite GH₵7 billion being accrued into the GETFund, only GH₵3 billion was available for use due to the capping and obligations tied to the Daakye Bond.

The lawmaker further assured that the NDC has conducted thorough analysis and research, confirming that by removing the cap and eliminating collateralisation, the GH₵4 billion currently inaccessible would be freed up.

These funds, he said would then be channelled towards financing the policy to provide grants to all Level 100 students, ensuring broader access to tertiary education in Ghana.

Meanwhile, Mr John Mahama, speaking at a Youth Town Hall Meeting at Ho Technical University, also responded to concerns about the funding for the policy, pointing out that wasteful government expenditures would be redirected to fund the initiative.

Source: Myjoyonline

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Former President John Mahama has said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) running mate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh has questions to answer about the management of the Daakye Bond.

During a Youth Forum in Ho, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said Napo supervised the allocation of GH₵4 billion from the Daakye Bond while serving as Education Minister.

He criticised the lack of progress on the projects that were supposedly funded by this bond, highlighting that many remain unfinished.

However, GETFund has clarified that its ability to execute its mandate was impaired due to the collateralisation of its receivables since 2018.

A statement issued by the head of Public Relations, Isaac Asiedu-Odei contended that the Bond has not been collateralised despite portions of the receivables having been “securitised to raise funds to realise its urgent activities.”

The statement explained that this does not mean it has access to its mandatory receivables, neither has the GETFund via Daakye plc received the cedi equivalent of 1.5 billion dollars into its vault.

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Read the full statement below:

He indicated that while the GETFund would be a primary source of funding, the government would seek additional funds if necessary to sustain the programme.

In an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story on Monday, August 12, Mr Opare Addo explained that the NDC would need to disentangle the GETFund, which has been capped and mortgaged, to ensure its effective use.

“The GETFund is one of the areas that we intend to use to fund it. Definitely along the line, other revenue streams may come onboard,” he said.

Mr Opare Addo’s explanation followed a promise made by the NDC flagbearer, John Mahama to provide tuition-free education for first-year students in public universities, a policy aimed at increasing access to higher education, particularly for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

He mentioned that the party is anticipating about 125,000 students, with the cost for academic user fees estimated at around $30 million per year—a figure he believes is feasible for the government to manage.

He emphasized that while the GETFund is a key resource, other revenue streams might be considered as the program progresses.

He also pointed out that this initiative would help reduce government waste by lowering the number of presidential staffers, estimating that the budget required for this programme is about 10% of the cost of the Free SHS programme.

Source: Myjoyonline

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One of such advocates recommending that the government makes allotment to provide free sanitary towels for young females is Business Consultant, Dr. Nana Esi Amos Abanyin.

She is suggesting that the Ghanaian Education Trust Fund to support the girl child education by allotting a portion of its funds for the procurement of sanitary products.

“The girls are home and not in school due to common factors, Sanitary pads they cannot afford. The Get-Fund can at least allocate 0.1 or 1%specifically to support the girls. Although its sole focus is on building schools, it is only the males that will have access to it if they girls aren’t also catered for,” she said.

There have been calls on the government to reduce the cost of the pads which they insist are expensive to afford due to heavy tax impositions.

The situation is impeding the academic progress of many young girls as they are compelled to stay out of school to tend to their menstrual needs.

According to Dr. Abenyin, the government needs to invest in the education of young girls to empower them and create more equitable society.

“If the girls are not educated well the government should forget it” she stated.

Supporting the call, Deputy Country Director of Send Ghana, Dr. Emmanuel Ayifah suggests that the government can also strategize absorb the sanitary wears under the National Health Insurance Scheme.

“ We can still look within possibly the nhis because that is health,to support the aspect of sanitary pad. We’re hoping the government can help support the distribution of sanitary pads, promote local production and reduce the price to make sanitary pads affordable for everyone,” he said.

They made the submissions during a symposium for gender advocacy organized by Send Ghana in collaboration with I Believe Global and the Kumasi Technical University.

The event brought together students, market women and other gender actors to deliberate on the country’s strive for gender equity.

The 2022 United Nation’s Voluntary National Review for the Sustainable Development Goals reports Ghana’s strive for Gender parity is on steady trajectory.

The quest for gender parity appears to be attainable as parliament considers the Affirmative Action Bill which has since not be passed into law following its introduction some 13 years ago.

Dr. Abenyin asserts the country must deliberately focus on institutes measures for gender parity, insisting women must take the fight aggressively.

“If no action is taken and there is no way we can make a progress. It’s apparent that external assistance for women may not be forthcoming. Hence, they must take the initiative to stand on their own and transform discussions into definitive actions,” she added.

Director for I Believe Global, Professor Smile Dzisi admonished the public to break away from gender stereotypes.

She believes that the stereotypical comments undermines the contributions of women, restricting them from taking up leadership roles.

“There is this perception that females cannot occupy certain positions very well.They think femidity is timidity, you can’t take bold decisions and that is a problem problem because we have great female leaders performing well,“ she said.

Prof. Dzisi is advocating the cause for entrepreneurial skills training and financial empowerment for women.

“It is challenging for girls to access financial assistance from banks. According to her, some banks even require them to provide male guarantees despite the fact that women are often more capable managers than men,” she said.

Speaking at the 15th congregation of the University College, Prof. Adimado said such allocations will help address the infrastructural challenges that private universities grapple with.

“It is our fervent prayer that private universities in Ghana would also be beneficiaries of GETFund,” he said.

To help actualize the University College’s vision, Prof. Adimado also appealed to corporate bodies and individuals for assistance.

“Donation of books and other learning materials, sponsorship of students for degree programmes in the university…partnerships of individuals, corporate bodies and organisations in various areas will also be needed”.

He called for further support in other areas such as; “Institution of prizes and awards for outstanding students and staff, and the provision of student hostels under Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) agreements or in equitable partnerships.”

The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), is a public trust set up by an Act of Parliament in the year 2000. Its core mandate is to provide funding to supplement government effort for the provision of educational infrastructure and facilities within the public sector from the pre-tertiary to the tertiary level.

But some players in the private tertiary sector in particular have consistently called on the government to amend the law setting up the fund to accommodate private education institutions.

They have often argued that, private universities also contribute to the manpower development of the country and as such, should be assisted to train the needed human resources for national development.

However, the government has often argued that such calls are misguided. It believes that it is not the best practice to mix public and private funds since it is likely to create a problem in terms of ownership.

Government believes that running a private university is purely private business, insisting the 1992 constitution gave private people and institutions the right to run private tertiary institutions if they had the money and the resources, provided they meet the accreditation requirements.

The 15th congregation of the school saw the graduation of 1,711 students with various diplomas and degrees. Prof. Adimado hinted of plans to introduce undergraduate programmes in Agribusiness, Ophthalmic Dispensing Technology and a 6-year doctor of optometry.

Postgraduate programmes such as Midwifery, Nursing, cybersecurity and Agribusiness management are also in the plan.

Founder of GCUC, Albert Acquah said the University College will extensively turn its attention on the Sustainable Development Goals.

The special guest of honour, Prof. Nana Anokye, Director, Division of Global Health at Brunel University London, urged the graduands to give back to society.

“Give back your time, talent and treasure. Give back your experience, insights and feedback. And give back your support, encouragement and gratitude. Give back to empower the future of the University College to benefit the broader society,” he said.

The President of the Garden City University College (GCUC), Prof. Emeritus Anthony Apeke Adimado, used the occasion to appeal to the government to fix the Airport Roundabout through Kenyase to Antoa road.

“We would humbly request that the rehabilitation of the road from Airport Roundabout through Kenyase to Antoa be given very urgent and serious attention.

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These projects include 1,430 at basic school level, 1,144 for Senior High School level and 138 at the tertiary level.

In addition to that, 15 E-blocks initiated by the previous adminis­tration, two Technical Vo­cational Education Training (TVET) centres and two model schools have also been completed.

Dr Boadu, who disclosed this at stakeholder forum organised by the fund in Accra yesterday said, the completed projects also includ­ed what had become known as the legacy projects initiated by previous gov­ernments.

He said about GH¢800,000,000 had so far been paid to contractors who were awarded with these proj­ects and these constituted about 96 per cent of the cost.

The forum was on the theme: “Innovation: A must to achiev­ing positive outcomes” and was attended by academia, civil society organisations, students, and the media.

Dr Boadu said the fund had de­ployed innovation in the manage­ment of its operations and this has brought in a lot more efficiency.

On his part, the Minister of Ed­ucation, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, said education and infrastructure were means of promoting a qual­ity education system that would transform teaching and learning in schools, and also equip students for the job market.

He said that students needed a better learning environment to produce better results, which would give them the opportunities to upgrade their education.

Dr Adutwum said GETFUND through the Ministry of Educa­tion had been prioritising Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), and had built some STEM schools and centres to encourage and equip students.

“This is going to enable us to increase the percentage of students enrolled in STEM-related courses, as compared to those pursuing humanities programmes.

The GETFUND scholarship programme has also focused on STEM education, although ensuring that there is equity for all students pursuing various pro­grammes for the betterment of our country,” he said.

Dr Adutwum said despite the GETFUND scholarship and infrastructure programmes, the government through the Ministry of Education is also embarking on schools building initiative with funding from international partners.

He noted that the govern­ment through the Kuwait fund is GETFund forum building three STEM high schools in the country, while the Arab De­velopment Bank, is also assisting the government with infrastructure development projects in some senior high schools.

To Dr. Richard Ampofo Boadu, the process is fair and transparent.

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Tuesday, he noted they have put measures in place to make the selection process transparent and also education students on how the system works.

Dr. Boadu also made it clear that, he is not involved in the selection process.

“We have ensured that the system is foolproof and beyond manipulation. We have no personal connections to these students; their selection is purely merit-based. The software shows the number of times the person came online, ensuring that the process remains transparent and traceable” the GETFund Administrator stressed.

He explained that, a significant number of students who received scholarships with outstanding academic records, scoring 4As and above, include both male and female candidates.

Dr. Boadu noted that, these individuals are not personally known to anyone involved in the selection, dispelling any notions of favoritism.

This comment from Dr. Richard Ampofo Boadu shows the commitment to fairness, transparency, and objectivity in the scholarship selection process administered by the GETFund in Ghana.

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According to him, the scholarships are awarded to applicants solely on merit and the process is highly transparent and open.

Dr Ampofo Boadu made these remarks in response to a comment during an open forum discussion under the theme ‘Financing Higher Education in Ghana: Implications for Equity and Sustainability’, organised by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) in Accra.

This policy dialogue was part of a series of seven organised by the Academy under the project ‘Motivating Higher Education Reforms in Ghana – Towards Equity and Sustainability’, funded by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

The goal of the project is to provide a platform for independent individuals and groups to address the challenges facing the higher education sector on an ongoing basis.

The GETFund Administrator urged tertiary institutions to explore innovative ways to raise funds to complement the government’s support.

He emphasised that government funding alone is insufficient to sustain these institutions, necessitating the exploration of alternative sources of funding.

Also, the Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare proposed the establishment of a scholarship authority to consolidate all scholarship providers in the country.

“The reason we are not meeting our tertiary enrollment target is due to actual needy students not gaining scholarships into tertiary institutions. The scholarship system and rollouts should be reviewed.”  

“We need a scholarship authority to manage all scholarships in the country and make scholarship rollouts more efficient and effective to help needy students and even prospective students enrol in tertiary institutions,” he added.  

To this end, the Chairperson of GAAS’ Higher Education Project Management Committee, Professor Emeritus Takyiwaa Manuh highlighted the perennial challenges faced by higher education in Ghana, including inadequate government funding, insufficient student loans, inadequate tuition fees, infrastructural deficits, and unreliable revenue streams.

She noted that these challenges have been worsened by the expansion of public institutions in the higher education sector and the conversion of polytechnics into technical universities, resulting in increased demands on resources.

Speaking on Adom TV Badwam show, he stated that the abandoned facility which was started over 60 years when completed will solve the accommodation challenges at the school.

Mr Glover was reacting to a viral video which showed students using toilet cubicles as dormitories in the school.

This incident has raised serious questions about the management of the school and the safety of its students.

But headmaster, Douglas Yakubu said the video is not the true reflection on the ground. He stated unequivocally that, GHANASCO does not have accommodation challenges

But the Ghana Education Service (GES) has since directed Mr Yakubu and the Senior Housemaster of GHANASCO to step aside, pending investigations.

However, Mr. Titus-Glover appealed to GetFund to pay attention to the accommodation challenges in the school and provide a lasting solution.

“If the headmaster is saying it’s an abandoned government project, they need to complete it. If a building which was done in 1960 something has been abandoned, possibly GetFund should support it. As we are speaking I’m sure Annoh Richard and the administrator, Richard Boadu are watching, I’m appealing to them to assist because the building is needed,” he added.

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Meanwhile, GES in the statement assured all stakeholders and the public that it will continue to ensure that students in its care operate in a safe school environment.

It further asked parents to remain calm while investigations are ongoing, with assurances that the safety and well-being of their children are of utmost priority.

The Groups, NUGS and Eduwatch say capping the GETFUND has given nothing to students but hardship and poor results and collapsing education in the country.

The groups revealed that the deliberate reduction of funds allocated to GETFUND over the few years has reached 39% of the accrued money.

The Students body and the educational group say the misapplication of these funds was leading to the collapse of education with deficits in infrastructure, teaching and learning materials, facilities and other essential needs forcing Ghana into a confused state in the sector.

Dennis Appiah-Larbi, NUGS President led the group and called on the Parliamentary Committee on Education to help uncap the GETFUND.

The Programs Manager at Eduwatch, Kofi Adu Asare, called for immediate action to save education.

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The Ranking Member of the Committee, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, revealed that already a bill was in the pipeline to help uncap the fund.

The Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Kwabena Amankwaah Asiamah, assured the groups that it will work to better the lives of a lot of Ghanaian students.

The high-powered delegation, led by the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), Vice Admiral, Seth Amoama visited the secretariat on Tuesday, 21 February 2023.

The visit comes on the back of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s promise to establish a War College in Ghana.

The CDS explained it is routine for interested primary institutions to follow up in such situations to ensure the promise is brought to fruition.

Vice Admiral Amoama indicated the visit was also “an opportunity for us to rekindle the long-standing relationship that has existed between GAF and GETFund.”

He further revealed that the vision is to commence a National Defense University (NDU) with the War College as one of its four key colleges. 

On the part of Dr Boadu, he stressed the role of his outfit in the realisation of the proposed War College, by initiating the processes leading to full compliance. 

“The promise by the President came at the right time as GETFund is still preparing its budget for the year 2023 for approval in March.

“Though our [GETFund] total receivables have been handicapped by the Capping and the Re-Alignment Act, we will use reasonable efforts to allocate funds towards this novel Strategic Defense College in Ghana,” he noted.

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The administrator assured the GAF delegation he will put the discussions before the Board of Trustees of the Fund for consideration and necessary action as part of the 2023 Distribution Formula.

Speaking at the 2023 WASSA Games at Burma Camp in Accra, President Akufo-Addo announced plans to establish the war college expected to train military personnel in modern warfare and other strategies.

He explained GETFund has been tasked to provide seed money for the establishment of a War College in the country.

In all, 867 claims from contractors who had presented valid certificates of work were settled.

The projects executed by the contractors include the construction of classrooms, dormitories, laboratories, administration blocks, dining halls and hostel blocks.

Others are assembly halls, underground water tanks, staff flats and lavatories of various sizes.

The GETFund has also honoured payments for the supply of bunk beds, furniture, electrical items, vehicles for some schools, as well as rehabilitation works on some school infrastructure.

The Administrator of the fund, Dr Richard Ampofo Boadu, disclosed this to the Daily Graphic in an interview yesterday.

The interview was a follow-up to a pledge the administrator had made to the contractors at a stakeholder engagement forum in Accra last month.

Dr Boadu had assured the gathering that processes were far advanced to pay claims covering over 867 certified interim payment certificates (IPCs) on projects and supplies across the levels of education sector.

Regional breakdown

He said 322 of the projects were at the secondary level, 244 at the tertiary, 269 at the basic, while 19 were for the Ministry of Education and its agencies, with 13 of them being contracts for supplies.

The Ashanti Region had the highest number of 161 projects across all levels, followed by the Eastern Region with 146, while the Bono East, Oti, Savannah and Western North regions had one project each, he said.

Breakdown of payments

Dr Boadu added that 271 of the paid contractors were working on basic school projects, amounting to GH¢40.93 million, while payments for second-cycle schools covered 351 certificates, totalling GH¢434.73 million.

For the tertiary sector, 242 claims at GH¢188.85 million were paid, while other claims from the Ministry of Education amounted to GH¢3.29 million.

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He explained that the payments were made through a mix of funding sources, made up of proceeds from the Daakye Plc Bond issuance and government releases through the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) to the GETFund.

He said the processes for such payments, which began in mid-October 2022 with the signing of novation agreements with contractors covering the 867 claims, ended last month, with the accounts of all beneficiary contractors duly credited.

“It must be noted that the Daakye payments covered mainly emergency projects that were awarded between 2017 and 2022 and certificates received on or before September 30, 2022.

“The tertiary sector claims covered about 92 per cent of certificates on legacy projects inherited by the current administration and received and prepared on or before September 30, 2022, by the GETFund.

“We would like to assure contractors that plans are in place to settle all outstanding certificates in an effort to complete stalled projects in our schools within the next three years,” the administrator said.

Situation

Last October, the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry (GhCCI) demanded that the government should pay arrears of GH¢10 billion owed for various infrastructural projects executed by its members.

It threatened to go to court if the government failed to fulfil its financial obligation to the contractors to retrieve their money.

The Chief Executive Officer of the GhCCI, Emmanuel Cherry, explained that the amount included debt owed to us by the Road Fund, COCOBOD, the Consolidated Fund, as well as the GETFund.”

According to Eduwatch, the allocation of ₵1.8 billion raises serious concern about the formula used in capping the GETFund in the 2023 budget, and whether it is in accordance with the Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment Law.

The ₵1.8 billion GETFund allocation forms only 39% of the GETFund levy accruals which are meant to be used to finance education projects and activities.

This is a sharp decline from the previous year’s 81% allocation.

“Going by the 25% capping under the Earmarked Funds Capping and Realignment Act, 2017 (Act 947) and the history of allocations in line with same, we estimate that, at least ₵2.7 billion, representing 60% of the total 2022 GETFund Levy accruals of ₵4.6 billion should be allocated to the GETFund for 2023,” Eduwatch said in a statement to Parliament.

They added that the continuous decline in the allocation to GETFund, amidst consistent increment in the GETFund Levy, has remained a significant issue of worry for stakeholders concerned about the widening infrastructure gap in the education sector, particularly at the basic education level.

Find the full statement below:

According to Richard Ampofo Boadu, a total of 2,559 projects have been completed at the various levels of education since 2017.

Out of this number, Dr Boadu says 1,314 are projects which were inherited.

The administrator disclosed this on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Tuesday as he gave a breakdown of the infrastructural support.

For the legacy projects, he explained 645 have been completed at the Basic level and 528 at the Secondary level while 127 have been completed at the tertiary level, as well as 14 E-blocks.

“For the new projects, we have a total of 945 out of which 433 are Basic and 508 Secondary while 127 have been completed at the tertiary level, as well as 14 E-blocks,” he explained.

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On why the tertiary level has recorded a low number, he indicated most of the projects were made Vice Chancellors’ legacies.

In this regard, successors did not want to continue them but they have given an order for the institutions to complete them and they are doing just that.

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Dr Boadu said the Fund over the years has been diligent in its mandate to support the delivery of quality education.

In view of this, they have completed a number of projects which are immensely contributing to teaching and learning in various universities.

“GETFund constructed the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences building and we funded the UG Sports complex to a point which has now been taken over by the Sports Ministry.

“There are several educational infrastructures within the UPSA enclave, the Legon school of performing arts faculty and the faculty of law building as well as the school of engineering,” he listed.

Dr Boadu also mentioned the KNUST Engineering building, a lecture and office complex at the University of Development Studies, Nyankpala campus among others.

He indicated GETFund does not in any way benefit from these structures though they have been commercialised by the institutions.

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However, the administrator said plans were underway to embark on a Public Partnership Agreement with the schools so they can benefit in a way to replenish their resources.

The forum, led by the GETFund administrator, Dr Richard Ampofo Boadu, was to foster understanding of the outfit’s mandate and also update Ghanaians on their achievements chalked over the years.

Mr Boadu stated the mandate of GETFund goes beyond the award of scholarships most people know them for as they also fund a lot of government projects which boost education in the country.

Through GETFund, he explained, buses, motorbikes, and furniture among others have been donated to several senior high schools in Ghana.

He also opened up on some challenges which he noted could have crippled GETFund but for thought-leadership policies.

“When we took over in 2017, we realised there are a lot of challenges which needed to be addressed to make the outfit better than it used to be.

“In this regard, we even had to suspend ongoing projects as some did not go through due processes and proper record keeping and embarked on infrastructural audit which helped to change the face of GETFund,” he explained.

The event, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, brought together representatives from the Education Ministry including sector Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, his Deputy, Rev John Ntim Fordjour and Deputy Information Minister, Fatima Abubakr.

Also in attendance were Vice Chancellors of Technical and public universities, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, members of the Parliamentary select committee on Education; Peter Nortsu-Kotoe (Akatsi MP), Dr Clement Apaak (Builsa North MP) and Akwasi Amankwa Asiamah (Fanteakwa North MP).

In his address, Dr Adutwum commended GETFund for the work done over the years to support education in Ghana.

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To him, GETFund has diligently applied the taxpayers’ money by providing infrastructure and other policies.

“All the projects we see is as a result of our taxes and so I say there is no GETFund without Ghanaians and no education infrastructure without GETFund,” he noted.

On his part, Mr Asiamah, who is also the Chairman of the Education Committee, commended GETFund for the work they have done over the years.

He urged the administrator and his team to continue to deliver on their mandate to promote quality education in the country.

Meanwhile, Dr Boadu disclosed there will be another forum which will delve more into the application and award of scholarships.

Dr. Boadu, who made this revelation during a media interaction to discuss education infrastructure, indicated that the 20 E-Blocks were selected on the basis that they had all reached the benchmark of at least 70% completion.

He further explained that, under the Nana Akufo-Addo administration, 14 of the E-blocks have been completed so far adding, with the additional 20 to come, the total number of completed E-Blocks by GETFund by the end of this year will be 34.

In addition to the 16 completed by World Bank, a total of 50 E-Blocks would be completed by the close of the year 2022.

E-Block Project completion mapping

Commenting on the delays to the project completion, the Administrator said that the contractors not being on site at present was not due to a lack of payment, rather the fluctuation clause in their contracts was not seen by many as fully compensatory.

Emphasizing this point, Dr. Boadu noted that “Take for instance a contractor who was awarded an  E-Block project in 2013 or 2014 at say GHS10m. Five to six years down the line, the contract sum has clearly lost its value because of currency depression, interest rate and inflation, among others.”

“The fluctuation clause clearly cannot cushion them against these variations. We have already engaged consultants on these 20 E-blocks to review the contracts so that we can look at new rates for subsequent approval by the Fund,“ he added.

Dr. Boadu was optimistic that the Fund would be able to deliver its target on the E-Blocks and other infrastructural commitments across the different levels of the education sector.

Giving the background to this approval, Dr. Boadu stated that on March 17, 2022, the management of the Fund sought approval from the Board of Trustees for a three-year project completion plan in phases, and that this was granted.

This, he said, was part of a wider plan that included bringing to completion by the end of 2022, all pre-2017 E-block projects that had attained 70% completion to date.

He further stated that on 23^rd March 2022, GETFund presented its plan to the Education sub-committee of Parliament and that this was subsequently approved by Parliament in April 2022.

According to the Administrator, the total number of uncompleted projects awarded since 2017, currently amounts to 1,044 across the education spectrum.

This includes 544 at the basic level, two TVET centres, nine projects in model schools, 487 second-cycle projects and two at tertiary level.

On the funding sources, Dr. Boadu indicated that this would be a mix of proceeds from bonds and GETFund annual budgetary allocations.

He expressed the Fund’s delight over the Parliamentary approval. “We are poised to usher the Fund into another exciting era to tackle once and for all, the infrastructure landscape in our education system that is littered with many uncompleted projects,” he said.

The Administrator explained that since 2017, projects awarded have always had a funding source and measures put in place to ensure effective project management.

He assured Ghanaians that the Fund remains committed to its core mandate to provide the necessary support to educational institutions and help enhance teaching and learning across all levels of the sector.

Parliament has approved an amount of ¢1.4 billion for the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund).

According to a report from the House sighted by JoyNews‘ Joseph Opoku Gakpo, GETFund is expected to spend ¢866 million, representing 60% of the total amount to pay back its debt.

From the report, an amount of ¢30.2 million is going to Members of Parliament for emergency projects and monitoring.

Also, about ¢13 million of the approved amount will be used to cover expenses for a special purpose vehicle, ‘Daakye’. ‘Daakye’ is expected to help GETFund raise ¢1.3 billion on the bond market. 

Reacting to the expenses, Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, who was unhappy with the allocation of the fund approved, stated that Daakye is a plan to “loot and share” state resources.

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Mr Iddrisu said that “ the Ministry of Finance is creating a structure called Daakye to siphon money, this must stop. You don’t need a Daakye to loan money for GETFund. This is not acceptable.

“Why are you now paying money on bond service, in the name of Daakye? Where is the GETFund board? Where is the GETFund administrator? What are the governance structures within the GETFund act?”

Also speaking on the Floor of Parliament, Minority Spokesperson on Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, expressed his displeasure at GETFund’s use of the approved money to pay off debts.

He stated that the GETFund policy is to use approved funds to improve education, infrastructure among others in the country.

“Today, the GETfund is collapsing. We cannot continue allowing the Ghana Education Trust Fund to use the amount they are supposed to use to improve our education for the purposes of paying a debt; that is not what the policy said,” Mr Forson added.

This is according to the GETFund administrator, Richard Ampofo Boadu, who explains it is between the period of 2017 till date, adding no inherited project has been abandoned.

Mr Boadu points out they include 406 inherited projects and 1,666 new projects at both the basic and secondary school levels as well as two projects at the tertiary level.

Giving the breakdown on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, he said about 820 of the projects were at the basic level with 846 in senior high schools across the country.

“We have 1,022 classroom projects, 325 dormitories, 298 toilet facilities and 21 other projects which include dining and assembly halls in the schools.

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“But for the tertiary level, we have recorded this low number because most of the projects were made VC’s legacies, so successors did not want to continue them but we have given an order for the institutions to complete them and they are doing just that,” he said. 

He said not all schools have so far benefited, but explained that the project was based on the needs of the respective schools since not all are on the double-track system.

According to Mr Boadu, they incurred a total debt of GHc 3.6 billion spanning from 2014 to 2017 when he took over.

He explained that these debts included contractors who had completed their jobs and had presented certificates for payment.

Others, he said, were impending debts as the contractors were yet to complete their various designated projects.

He made the disclosure when speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen.

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“GHS 834 million of the debt was owed contractors who had raised certificates and about GHS 2.7 billion impending debts since the projects were ongoing. So our liabilities were about GHS 3.6 billion outstanding debts,” he said.

He revealed people on daily basis demand payments and they had to act swiftly, stating they could not solely rely on their GHS 1 billion statutory payment.

“About 70 people troop to my office daily and I can remember a day a 65-year-old medical doctor whose money was locked up came to my office to weep.

“Another also collapsed at the premises and had to be rushed to Nyaho Clinic, where I bared all the hospital cost. So the situation was that bad,” he recounted.

However, he disclosed about GHS 2 billion has been paid to contractors between 2014 and December 2019, adding that they have been on course when it comes to their payments. “In 2017 we paid 365 million, 604 million in 2018, 773 million and 333 million in 2019 and 2020 respectively,” he noted.

GETFund Administrator, Richard Ampofo Boadu, bemoaned how some applicants address the letter personally to him for favour.

This conduct, he said, goes against most of the applicants who are qualified for the scholarships.

Speaking in an exclusive interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Wednesday, Mr Boadu cited how some people lost the scholarships because they addressed their letters personally to him.

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“I had traveled and the letters came so my staff thought they were personal and failed to work on them. I returned to see the letters on my table and the people lost out,” he recounted.

Going forward, the GETFund Administrator advised applicants to submit their applications personally or address them to his office for positive feedback.

“Stop sending me love letters; address your applications to the GETFund Secretariat not me,” he added.

Some commentators described the Member of Parliament (MP) in unpalatable words.

Dr Assibey Yeboah is alleged to have said it was unfair for the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETfund) scholarship to be enjoyed by only the needy in society while politicians and their children are excluded. 

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The New Juaben South MP in a programme aired on Class FM said: So, you’re saying that I’m a politician, scholarships are being given to people to go and study abroad [but] because I’m a politician, my kids should not benefit from same? Is that what you are saying? he quizzed.

It’s the same bogus argument that led us to having free education in the northern part of the country, which, now the NPP says, ‘no’; everybody has to benefit from it; there are a lot of rich people in Ghana whose kids are benefiting from the free Senior High School (SHS), go and throw them out of the school and tell them their parents can afford it. Do you know the amount of taxes that they pay? he defended his position.

So, should the scholarships be the preserve of some Ghanaians? Are they more Ghanaian than me? Do they pay more taxes than me?

This whole scholarship thing, do you know that free SHS is also a scholarship? Yes, that’s scholarship; so, if you legislate that it should go to only the needy, so, you have somebody who claims they are needy, they are not paying taxes and then they should access this but I pay all manner of taxes, I shouldn’t be able to access it, he stressed.

If you are cancelling it altogether, so be it; GETfund will only be for infrastructure, no scholarship, fair game, OK”, he argued, adding: “If there’s a violation of the law, let us say so.

But, reacting to his comments, scores of Ghanaians didn’t take kindly to him as they dished out insults after insults on him.

Read some of the comments:

According to Mr Boadu, the Auditor General misquoted and misrepresented a lot of facts in his report that was released about a week ago.

“We gave him no list but files containing about 9,000 names including bank transfers for him to help with the audit and he created his own list,” he said.

Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosiisen, Mr Boadu said if the Auditor General was diligent in his work, he would have discovered that GETFund caused Ghana no financial loss as being circulated in the media.

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“The files contained names of applicants, approved and awarded scholarships. Out of the list he published, some of the fees and stipends were not collected and about 12 of the people including MP, Kennedy Osei did not even attend the schools,” he lamented.

Mr Boadu said the Auditor General, out of respect, should have provided GETFund copies of the report to facilitate deliberations before making it public knowledge.

A performance audit report of the Auditor-General on the administration of scholarships by GETFund revealed that Education Minister Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, Procurement Minister and Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, Sarah Adwoa Safo as well as the Executive Secretary of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), Prince Hamidu Armah have all benefited from the scheme meant for brilliant but needy students.

To the National Democratic Congress former Member of Parliament for La Dadekotopon constituency, who was so sure the scholarships were meant for brilliant but needy students, he was surprised his request was turned down.

Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Tuesday, Mr Namoale said he was seeking the scholarship for a female student in his constituency who wanted to further her education.

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To make matters worse, Mr Namoale said the rejection letter was re-addressed to him instead of the main applicant.

Commenting on the award of scholarships to politicians and other influential people in Ghana as indicated in the Auditor-General’s performance report, he urged the individuals mentioned to refund the monies.

Mr Namoale stressed there were more deserving applicants at the time the politicians were awarded the scholarships, hence a refund is the only solution to put the case to rest.

The Education Minister is listed as studying National and International Security at Harvard University, receiving $12,800 for living expenses and $11,200 as tuition fees.

The minister has since denied the Auditor General’s report.

A performance audit report of the Auditor-General on the administration of scholarships by GETFund revealed that Mr Opoku Prempeh and his colleague ministers, Sarah Adwoa Safo, as well as the Executive Secretary of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA), Prince Hamidu Armah have all benefited from the scheme.

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But Ras Mubarak, reacting to the matter on his Facebook page, has challenged the Education Minister to provide evidence to support his claim that he has not benefited from the scheme.

He opined that Mr Opoku-Prempeh was sponsored by the National Service Secretariat for a programme at MIT University in Boston in his capacity as Minister for Education.

“He and some NSS staff spent $300.000 usd or 1.3million cedis then, of tax payers money for a one week program in the US. I know this for a fact because I had exposed him on the floor of Parliament,” he added.

Below is his Facebook post

According to GETFund, in a statement cited by Adomonline.com the scholarship fund is not limited to brilliant but needy students.

“We wish to categorically state that the award of scholarships by GETFund under the GETFund Act 2000, Act 581, is not limited to needy but brilliant students. The Fund may, per its mandate, also provide support for such other educational activities and programmes to serve strategic national interests,” the statement read.

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A performance audit report of the Auditor-General on the administration of scholarships bythe Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund). the report revealed, Dr. Martin Opoku-Prempeh, Procurement Minister and Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, Sarah Adwoa Safo as well as Prince Hamidu Armah, as persons who have benefitted from the scheme between 2012 and 2018.

Dr. Opoku Prempeh and Dr. Armah have issued separate rejoinders to deny the publication.

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But the GETFund has indicated that neither the Education Minister, the Procurement Minister nor the NaCAA boss, have been awarded scholarships by the current administration.

It, however, defended the decision to provide financial support to the educational activities of persons who are in a good position to fund their education stressing, that is done  “to serve strategic national interests.”

Below is their full statement on the issue

According to the contractors, they were contractedby the government of Ghana through GETFund to build schools in selected areasacross the country. 

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These projected were pre-financed and completed bythe contractors and for the past two years, GETFund has failed to reimburse them.

Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s late afternoon’s ‘Ekosii Sen’ show, Mr Roland, one of the contractors, lamented on the continuous pressure from their banks and creditors.

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According to him, the interest on the loans they took keep increasing astronomically each month and have left them with huge outstanding debts which are capable of crippling their businesses.

“Some of our contractors have worked for two years but have not been paid, we were told some monies have been deposited into our account we went to enquire and we were told it is yet to be processed”, he revealed.

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“We owe customers and workers who are threatening to use legal means to retrieve their monies, we have been to their office of GETFund several times but were told they don’t have enough funds” he added.

Out of this amount, GHC255,500,000.00 is expected to be spent on tertiary education while GHC242,019,149.10 goes into financing some projects in the secondary education of the country.

Additionally, GHC222,755,000.00 would be spent on basic education while an amount of GHC50,400,000.00 would be spent on GETFund Secretariat and the Ministry of Education.

That notwithstanding, an amount of GHC15,125,000, representing 1.91% would be spent on MPs Emergency Projects while the remaining amount of GHC4,425,000.00, representing 0.56% goes to financing monitoring of these projects.

The Fund, Kasapafmonline.com understands, would be used in financing new areas of focus such as; fencing of schools with high risk of encroachment; provision of white boards in schools; construction of kindergarten facilities; and regulatory and policy reforms.

Moving the motion for the adoption of the Proposed Formula for the distribution of the GETFund for the year 2017 on the floor of Parliament, Tuesday, the Majority Leader, Osier Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, said the Board was guided by some factors in arriving at the formula for the distribution of the Fund key amongst which include; Promotion of the study of Mathematics, Science and Technology; Advancement of female education; Reduction in the high level of illiteracy in historically disadvantaged areas; Promotion of computer, vocational and technical education and training; and Equitable allocation of funds to the District at the Pre-Tertiary level of education.

He further told the House that the structure and spending for the year 2017 Formula is aligned to the Education Sector’s priority projects and programs, notably amongst them are; academic facilities and infrastructure, scholarships; allocation of funds to the Students Loan Trust Fund; procurement of teaching and learning materials; and demystifying and popularizing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (SMET)/ Information Communication Technology (ICT).

Hon. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu however, expressed concern about the delays in the payment of accruals to GETFund, noting that such delays adversely affect the implementation of planned projects and programs.

He therefore, urged the Ministry of Finance to ensure the timely release of the Funds to avoid delays of planned projects and programs.

He also told the House about the urgent need to amend the GETFund Act, 2000 (Act 851) to enable the Fund perform more efficiently.

A key issue which he raised in connection to his proposed amendment of the GETFund Act is the Membership of the Board of Trustees of the Fund comprising seventeen (17) persons as provided in Section 6 of Act 581.

“In the opinion of the Committee, the present composition is too large and must be reviewed,” he noted.