Peter Nortsu-Kotoe is a Ranking Member on Education
The Minority in Parliament has expressed deep concern over the government's failure to pay suppliers of tablets and other educational materials, as well as the delay in marking the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) scripts.
At a press conference on August 22, 2024, the Ranking Member on Education, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, accused the government of refusing to pay a supplier of tablets worth over GH¢6 billion.
The tablets were procured as part of the free Senior High School (SHS) program, but the supplier has been unable to receive payment due to the government's lack of allocation.
The Minority is also concerned that the government is not providing accurate information about the distribution of the tablets. While the government claims to have distributed 900,000 tablets, the Minority has found that only 1,358,000 tablets were procured. The supplier has been forced to take out a loan in dollar-denominated currencies to pay for the tablets and is now struggling to pay back the loan.
The Minority also want answers from the government on how many schools have received the tablets and how many students have received them.
The Minority said they have found that several schools in their constituencies have not received the tablets, including Avers Senior High School and Bosa South Senior High School.
Furthermore, the Minority is demanding that the government release funds to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to enable them to conduct the marking of BECE scripts. The delay in marking has resulted in WAEC postponing the marking of scripts from this month to September, which will disrupt the school calendar.
The Minority is urging the government to take immediate action to address these issues and avoid further disruptions to the education system.
