World Bank school project: It was petty propaganda – Adwoa Safo

In 2017, Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo claimed she was involved in securing funds from the World Bank for a Community Day Senior High School in in her constituency.

This claim emerged largely false as the World Bank and some members of the erstwhile Mahama government came out strongly to deny her roles in the project.

The fallout from the controversy subjected Sarah Adwoa Safo to intense social media trolls which persisted for several weeks.

However, about three years down the line, the Member of Parliament has described the issue as a petty propaganda which was spearheaded by her opposers to create disaffection towards her.

In her defence, she explained that she attended a school - George Washington University - which was barely two blocks away from the World Bank office, thus her knowledge of their operations, position at the time and her contacts got her involved in the project.

Speaking on the community day school in question in an interview with UTV she said; “if the government of the day receives funding for a project, and they don’t get land where are they going to put up the project? Letters went back and forth which showed that we secured that land from Atomic Energy Commission.”

In an attempt to specifically explain her contribution to the project she said: “The propaganda that was being made wasn’t that I said I built the school, it was because and of course with where I’ve lived and schooled, George Washington University. It’s just one block away from the World Bank. I know there and I’ve worked there before.”

“That’s is why I said I was sure I also influenced the released of funds. I knew that money was coming. If you’re part of something good, you have to let people know…So as far as my constituents are concerned, they know the school came during my term. When the controversy began, I saw it as a bit petty on the side on government, honestly,” she said.

At the time, Adwoa Safo told her party officials in her constituency that she lobbied the World Bank for one of the 23 community day schools it was sponsoring under the Mahama administration to be built in her constituency.

ADWOA SAFO FAUX PAS?

Dome/Kwabenya MP claims credit for community SHS constructed by the erstwhile @JDMahama administration #GHOneNews pic.twitter.com/5sISuLovbU

— GHOne TV (@GHOneTV) July 7, 2017