Ranking Member on Parliament's Education Committee Peter Norstu-Kotoe says the Education Minister’s assessment of the sector is not being fair to the former Minister of Education.

The Akatsi North MP said Matthew Opoku Prempeh only talks about the liabilities the ruling government inherited from the erstwhile NDC government while keeping quiet on the assets they also inherited.

The Education Minister, Matthew Opoku Prempeh said his office inherited huge debts from the Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman led Education Ministry.

In a statement to parliament, the Minister said, “We met huge outstanding bills under the leadership of Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang as Minister of Education, on key supplies for education service delivery.”

“There was an outstanding bill of approximately ¢9 million on Capitation Grant, ¢4 million on Feeding Grant for Special Schools, ¢14 million on exercise books to basic schools, and ¢4 million on the supply of school uniforms among many others.

“Moreover, there were delays in the disbursement of capitation and feeding grants for Special Schools affecting the effective operation of the schools,” he said.

He said since 2017, government has cleared all the arrears and ensured the timely release of capitation and feeding grants for Special Schools.

However, Mr. Nortsu-Kortoe reacting to those claims said it’s rather unfortunate that while the Minister was talking about the liabilities his government had inherited, he had failed to talk about the assets the erstwhile Mahama government had left him.

He said, “What you should know is that when you inherit a system you have assets and liabilities to go with.  He’s always talking about the liabilities, but hes forgotten about the assets that he inherited when he came into office. And I can tell you one or two of them.

“You remember very well there was this programme of secondary education improvement project. Now under that system we had a lot of money from the World Bank and if you remember also that during the debate on that loan agreement when provision was made for the purchase of sanitary pads for the girls in the senior high schools, they made fun of it. And they inherited that chunk of money from the secondary education improvement project.” He stated on JoyFM’s Top Story, Tuesday.

He continued, “He did not mention that this was an asset he inherited. Yet again another asset he inherited was the development of technical and vocational education in the country. He mentioned today that they have made strides in that area but it is because of the assest that the former minister left behind.”

According to the NDC ranking member, “In any case if you inherit a system, be ready that you talk about the assets as you talk about the liability. So he cannot let people hear only one side of the story.”