Ferdinand | EducationGhana | March 06 | Government Allocates GH¢68.5 Million for WASSCE Past Questions, Faces Criticism Over Sole Sourcing

The Ministry of Education allocates GH¢68.5 million for WASSCE past questions procurement, sparking controversy over sole sourcing and price increase. Dr. Clement Apaak expresses concerns.

In a recent parliamentary session, the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, revealed that the government has allocated GH¢68.5 million for the photocopying of past questions for West African Senior School Examination (WASSCE) candidates between 2020 and 2021.

The procurement, done through sole sourcing, aims to provide guidance to students in their exam preparations and improve their performance.

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Government’s Procurement Details

Dr. Adutwum disclosed that the Ministry acquired 446,954 WASSCE questions for the 2021 exam from Messrs Kingdom Books and Stationery at a unit price of GH¢78.00.

This procurement will be funded from the Free Senior High School Account. Additionally, in 2020, the government procured 568,755 past questions for the same exam, totaling GH¢33,641,043.75, also from Kingdom Books and Stationery.

The funds for this were sourced from the Free Senior High School Account.

Criticism from Dr. Clement Apaak

However, Dr. Clement Apaak has expressed concerns over the government’s decision to spend GH¢68,513,455.75 on past questions procurement through sole sourcing from the same company for two consecutive years.

He raised questions about the 32% increase in the unit price of past questions within a year, from GH¢59 to GH¢78, while the prices of textbooks used by Senior High School students remained unchanged.

Dr. Apaak’s Statement

Taking to Facebook, Dr. Apaak highlighted the discrepancy, stating, “Why would the government spend GH¢68,513,455.75 on past questions through sole sourcing from the same company for two years in a row and agree to pay GH¢78 per unit when it paid only GH¢59 per unit just a year ago? This represents a whopping 32% increase, which raises questions.”

Conclusion

The allocation of GH¢68.5 million for WASSCE past questions procurement has stirred controversy, with concerns raised over sole sourcing and the significant increase in unit price. As discussions unfold, stakeholders await further updates on the matter, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability in educational expenditures.