Claims of tension between Mr. Paul Adjei, the Administrator of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), and Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu have been denied by a source familiar with discussions from a recent high-level meeting at the Ministry of Education.
The source, who attended the meeting and is part of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) but wishes to remain unnamed, stated that there was no confrontation or defiance during the meeting, contrary to some media reports.
The meeting took place behind closed doors at the Ministry of Education and included CHASS leaders, representatives from the Conference of Principals of Technical Institutions (COPTI), officials from the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) Secretariat, the GETFund Administrator, the GETFund Board Chairman, and other important stakeholders involved in the secondary school feeding and procurement process.
Reportedly, the discussions focused on ongoing delays in procurement and payments that affect the supply of perishable food items and recurring expenses for Senior High Schools. Stakeholders warned that these issues could disrupt feeding and school operations if not urgently addressed.
“At no time during the meeting did the GETFund Administrator challenge or refuse to follow any directive from the Minister,” the source said, adding, “implementation of directives occurs after discussions, not during them, so the idea of defiance does not accurately represent what happened.”
The source characterized reports that depicted the meeting as heated or confrontational as a misrepresentation of a discussion that was mostly calm and focused on issues. While stakeholders raised concerns about operational challenges, the meeting reportedly kept a professional tone throughout.
Even though the meeting concluded without a clear decision, attendees recognized the importance of additional discussions to tackle procurement and funding issues, especially those impacting the feeding of students in the Free SHS programme.
Participants have expressed concerns about how the details of what was meant to be a private, in camera meeting quickly became public. Some stakeholders have questioned if the events were accurately reported afterward.
Some individuals familiar with the situation in the Ministry suggest that existing political and administrative tensions might be affecting the current scenario, as many feel the GETFund Administrator did not adequately support the NDC while they were in opposition. These individuals assert that there have been internal inquiries regarding the appropriateness and political affiliations of certain appointments made at GETFund.
The GETFund Administrator reportedly took the chance to clarify matters related to Commitment Authorization, stating that current procedures permit GETFund to start specific procurement processes, rather than some of the institutions mentioned in earlier discussions.
Beyond the immediate issues, observers note that this incident reveals larger institutional conflicts within the education sector, particularly concerning procurement authority and collaboration among agencies.
They warn that while ministerial intervention can sometimes be necessary to resolve administrative issues, such actions should be carried out within well-defined frameworks to prevent overlaps and confusion in execution.