Beware of fraudulent individuals posing as organisers of Spelling Bee – YEF cautions Ghanaians

The organisers of The Spelling Bee-Gh, Young Educators Foundation (YEF) has cautioned the public about the activities of some fraudulent individuals posing as organisers of the renowned spelling contest.

In a statement signed by the Country Director of the Foundation, Eugenia Tachie-Menson, the YEF said it has taken note of one Majid Abdallah-Williams who claims to be the organiser of the prestigious programme in Ghana, hence the caution.

The Foundation affirmed that it is the sole organiser of The Spelling Bee-Gh and reserved the exclusive right to send qualified Ghanaian Spellers to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in the United States of America.

It urged parents interested participating in a spelling competition through The Spelling Bee-Gh with the aim of participating in the Scripps Spelling Bee in the USA to contact “our offices on 0249106220/0246307355 or by email at info@yefoundationgh.org.”

“It has come to the attention of Young Educators Foundation, organisers of The Spelling Bee-Gh, that one Majid Abdallah-Williams, who lists his place(s) of work as Accra Digital Centre and Main Events companies, is passing off The Spelling Bee-Gh programme as his company's.

“For the record, The Spelling Bee-Gh is the only spelling competition on the African continent that sends children to the world-renowned Scripps National Spelling Bee, USA. We hold the exclusive rights to send our Ghanaian Spellers who qualify through The Spelling Bee-Gh to Scripps National Spelling Bee,” it stated.

Fraudulent claims

The YEF said it has received reports from “well-meaning parents” that the said Majid Abdallah-Williams has been informing unsuspecting parents that his company has been sending children from Ghana to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in the USA.

Describing the claim as false and untrue, the Foundation said it has contacted its lawyers over the matter, stressing that it will take legal action against Mr. Majid Abdallah-Williams to safeguard its brand.

“We do not hold the position that we are the sole organisation or entity in Ghana capable of holding an English spelling programme; we are aware of other spelling programmes in English being run by others organisations in Ghana.

Matter of fact, we have lent our support to some of such organisations who have asked us to.

“However, to mislead Ghanaians into thinking that his spelling programme is The Spelling Bee-Gh amounts to "passing off" and is indeed a fraudulent misrepresentation which is criminal. We will protect our brand and that of our partners' as far as the laws of the land will allow us,” it explained.

The Spelling Bee

The Spelling Bee is a literacy programme that teaches primary children between ages 7 and 13, how to improve their spelling, increase their vocabulary, learn and understand word concepts that will help them all their lives.

Each year since 2007, the Young Educators Foundation organises The Spelling Bee programme where the eventual winner goes on to represent Ghana at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in the USA.

A student of the Gbanzaba Memorial School in Tamale, Nadia Mashoud Chalpang, won The Spelling Bee 2020 in February this year, becoming the first person from the Northern Region to win the competition, which is more than a decade old.

The 2019 edition was won by Kwabena Adu Darko-Asare, a student of DPS International School.