MoE distances Minister of Education from botched SHS Wi-Fi deal
The Ministry of Education (MoE) has distanced the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum from the provision of Wi-Fi internet services to government Senior High Schools contract awarded to Lift Logistics formerly Busy Internet.
“I would like to place on record that there was no wrongdoing in the award of the contract. Additionally, the current Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, was not involved in awarding this contract,” the Ministry said in a post.
The social media post made by the Public Relations Officer of MoE, Kwasi Kwarteng sighted by Thisterm.com added “Including his picture in the story and stirring public disaffection against him is highly regrettable and shameful.”
The Education Ministry’s clarification follows The Fourth Estate report that the Ministry of Education has paid GH¢56 million to Busy Internet despite the company’s failure to provide Wi-Fi internet services to Senior High Schools.
In the investigative report, it said SHSs including Labone Senior High School have been without internet under the Busy Internet project for periods of up to 24 months. However, they featured prominently on a list of schools whose internet services Lifted Logistics invoiced and received payments for.
“The company also received payments for St Mary’s SHS, Korle Gonno, Fafraha Community Day SHS, Ada Technical, Nungua SHS, Presby SHS, Teshie Presbyterian SHS, Ashaiman SHS, Kpedze SHS, Toase SHS, Bawku and Adugyama SHSs between 2020 and 2023 but all of these schools had no internet access for those years,” The Estate said in the report.
The Fourth Estate further indicated that initially, the Wi-Fi system worked and the internet was available in some Second-cycle schools. Within a short period, however, the schools started losing connectivity one after another.
“The Fourth Estate visited 50 Senior High Schools in 2023 to check if they were still connected to the internet. Out of the 50 Senior High Schools, 48 of them had been without internet connection for several months,” it said in the report.
In a related development, the Ministry of Education says it’s considering terminating aspects of the contract that enables Lift Logistics formerly Busy Internet to provide Wi-Fi internet service to government Senior High Schools in the country.
In a statement shared with Thisterm.com, the Education Ministry said the decision to terminate the aspects of the contract is based upon evaluation which indicates some schools are experiencing satellite connection challenges.
“The Ministry upon evaluation is considering terminating aspects of the contract in schools that are experiencing satellite connectivity challenges, a situation which had been attributed to the failure of Lifted Logistics’ Limited (formerly Busy Internet) to pay its providers,” the press statement signed by the Ministry’s spokesperson stated.