The Education Ministry says they have nothing to hide with regards to the GALOP Project.

The Ministry in a press release dated August 17, 2022 indicated that "the its communications outfit is prepared to give further clarification to issues that anybody does not understand about the project."

According to the Ministry, there have been media publications which "obviously seeks to indict the conscientious hardworking Minister.

According to the reports, "it has emerged that the Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Adutwum presented what is suspected to be a fictitious report supposedly to convince the World Bank for the release of US$1.2 Million meant to execute the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP), a project he and the Ministry never executed..."'

The Ministry in reaction quizzed "Where and when did it emerge and who suspects that the Minister presented a fictitious report to the World Bank to obtain funding for a project that was not executed?

Why are we doing this to ourselves as a people?

Are these people saying that they are more knowledgeable and wiser than the World Bank when it comes to project funding, implementation, monitoring and evaluation?

"Why would the World Bank go ahead and release funds after discovering all these claims, and, if they released the funds mistakenly before realising what these mischievous personalities are saying, why are they not recalling the fund and sanctioning us?"

"Ordinarily, we shall not be bothered about such unfounded allegations and deliberate misinformation, however, we deem it expedient and highly imperative to detoxify the media landscape of such maliciously published toxins before they affect the perception of the general public," they added.

According to the release, "The World Bank has intelligent and hardworking officials who painstakingly verify project reports before approving them for further deliberations and work.

"And, the GALOP went through such vigorous system and process before adoption. They have found nothing wrong with our report and have no ill-suspicions about the lead implementing Ministry and or their officials."

Read the full statement from the Ministry below:

In case of reply, the Ministry of Education number and date of this Letter should be quoted.                             

Ministry Branch Post Office

P. O. Box M. 45

Tel: +233-0302-747778                   

   Accra, Ghana

Digital Address: GA-111-6780

My Ref No:  DC326/355/01

Your Ref No: ..……………                                                          17th AUGUST, 2022

PRESS RELEASE

MOE CURES MEDIA MISCHIEF ABOUT GALOP PROJECT

Recently, the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the World Bank (WB) painstakingly responded to misleading media reports about the GALOP Project that the two institutions and other implementing agencies are working on to improve teaching and learning experience at the basic level of education.

In two separate communications, the lead sponsor, WB and lead implementing Ministry, MoE, exhaustively addressed all the unfounded allegations and claims, factual inaccuracies, misleading interpretations and other concerns with the hope of bringing clarity and closure to the issue.

Unfortunately, however, it is now clearer than before that those behind such character assassinating reports are deliberately embarking on a vicious smear campaign project against the patriotic, selfless and hardworking Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum for reasons best known to themselves.

Otherwise, what could motivate them to continue publishing unfounded allegations and claims against the Honourable Minister and other officials after the WB came out to clarify issues and vindicate the Honourable Minister and his team?

The latest our attention has been drawn to is a report titled, "Did Adutwum Cook-up Report On $1.2M GALOP Project?" published within the media space.

The news report which, obviously seeks to indict the conscientious hardworking Honourable Minister says, "it has emerged that the Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Adutwum presented what is suspected to be a fictitious report supposedly to convince the World Bank for the release of US$1.2 Million meant to execute the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project (GALOP) 7.2B, a project he and the Ministry never executed..."

Where and when did it emerge and who suspects that the Minister presented a fictitious report to the World Bank to obtain funding for a project that was not executed?

Why are we doing this to ourselves as a people?

Are these people saying that they are more knowledgeable and wiser than the World Bank when it comes to project funding, implementation, monitoring and evaluation?

Why would the World Bank go ahead and release funds after discovering all these claims, and, if they released the funds mistakenly before realising what these mischievous personalities are saying, why are they not recalling the fund and sanctioning us?

Ordinarily, we shall not be bothered about such unfounded allegations and deliberate misinformation, however, we deem it expedient and highly imperative to detoxify the media landscape of such maliciously published toxins before they affect the perception of the general public.

The World Bank has intelligent and hardworking officials who painstakingly verify project reports before approving them for further deliberations and work. And, the GALOP went through such vigorous system and process before adoption. They have found nothing wrong with our report and have no ill-suspicions about the lead implementing Ministry and or their officials.

The bank has made that sufficiently clear. And, the Ministry's communications outfit is prepared to give further clarification to issues that anybody does not understand about the project. The Honourable Minister and the Ministry have nothing to hide.

This is why we question the intent of those behind such publications.

END

FELIX A. BAIDOO

PRESS SECRETARY