The Ministry of Education has refuted claims of misappropriation of public funds intended for the Wi-Fi for Schools program.
Recently, The Fourth Estate Media reported that the government had made payments to a service provider for Wi-Fi services in public schools, which were allegedly not rendered.
In a statement released on June 3, the Ministry strongly denied these allegations, labelling them as “inaccurate.”
“The Ministry of Education wishes to address the claims made in a recent report by The Fourth Estate Media regarding the Wi-Fi for Schools Programme. The report, which suggests a failure in service delivery and misuse of public funds, is inaccurate and does not represent the facts.”
The Ministry urged the public to ignore the misleading perception created by The Fourth Estate Media’s publication, affirming the Minister Dr. Osei Yaw Adutwum’s commitment to ensuring value for money in all initiatives.
The Ministry clarified that, despite the approved amount for recurring expenses, it only disburses payment for the accessible dedicated internet, not the total capped monthly cost.
The Fourth Estate reported that nearly four years after the initiation of the program, the high expectations remain unmet with several schools in Ghana still lacking internet access. Despite this, Busy Internet, an internet service provider that seems to have ceased operations, has received GHS 56 million. The contract has now been transferred to a firm named Lifted Logistics, which only obtained a provisional ISP license in February 2024.
