GETFund Administrator never objected to any directive by Education Minister - Reports

Fresh details emerging from a closed-door meeting at the Ministry of Education have cast doubt on widely circulated claims that the Administrator of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), Paul Adjei, opposed directives from the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu.

Contrary to reports suggesting a tense standoff and outright defiance, a source present at the meeting and a member of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), who requested anonymity, indicated that no such confrontation occurred.

According to the attendee, discussions at the high-level meeting were largely measured, with stakeholders expressing concerns about procurement bottlenecks affecting the supply of perishable food items under the Senior High School feeding programme.

“At no point did the GETFund Administrator challenge or refuse to comply with any directive from the Minister. Complying with a directive does not take place during a meeting but is seen during implementation. So, the Administrator could not have defied the Minister’s directive during the meeting,” the source said.

“The characterisation of the meeting as confrontational is inaccurate and appears to have been made to create disaffection for the Administrator,” the source added.

The meeting, convened by the Education Minister, brought together CHASS leadership, representatives of the Conference of Principals of Technical Institutions (COPTI), officials from the Free SHS Secretariat, the GETFund Administrator and Board Chairman, as well as other stakeholders within the secondary school feeding chain.

The engagement followed complaints from school heads that delays in payment for perishable food supplies could disrupt feeding and operations if not urgently addressed.

While the meeting ended without a definitive resolution, insiders maintain that it did not degenerate into the level of discord being portrayed in sections of the media.

Some sources have suggested that the situation forms part of broader tensions within the education sector, particularly around procurement authority and administrative control. However, these claims remain unverified.

Stakeholders are expected to reconvene to reach a consensus that safeguards due process and ensures uninterrupted feeding for students.

Observers say restoring confidence will depend on resolving procurement challenges and ensuring accurate public communication as well as respect for institutional roles.