Former Minister of Education under the erstwhile Mahama administration, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has said she is the least perturbed by comments of current Education Minister’s suggesting she is a ‘disgrace and an embarrassment’.
According to the former minister, Mr. Opoku Prempeh is entitled to his own opinion and that she sees no point in retaliating or giving room for his comments to bother her since they are not a true reflection of what the reality is.
She made this statement in an interview with GhanaWeb’s Editor Kwabena Kyenkyenhene Boateng on '21minutes with KKB'.
“He’s entitled to his opinion… what I expected was that as somebody who has taken over from me, we would have opportunity to work together but if that wasn’t the case it didn’t really bother me”.
In November 2017, Education Minister Matthew Opoku Prempeh made quite harsh comments about his predecessor, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, describing her as an “embarrassment” and a “disgrace” who did nothing but saddle the ministry with debt during her term in office.
“Her four-year tenure under John Mahama was an embarrassment”. He stated.
Citing evidence to back his statement on the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Dr Opoku Prempeh said Prof Opoku-Agyemang as Minister left the education sector burdened with the following debts per the Mahama administration’s own handing over notes:
Feeding Grants for Colleges of Education – GHC36 million
Feeding Grants for Special Schools – GHC4.7 million
SHS Subsidy – GHC24 million
Progressively Free Senior High School debt – GHC33 million
Capitation Grant, GHC8 million
GETFund debt – GHC3.7 billion
“She doesn’t understand education”, Dr Opoku Prempeh insisted.
Meanwhile, the Former Education Minister who at a point in time also served as the first female Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast has maintained that she's unperturbed by the attacks on her by her successor.