By: Deborah Amewoyi
Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu has debunked claims of the 5.1 million beneficiaries of the free shs initiative projected by the previous government according to their statistics.
During his first meeting with development planners at the ministry yesterday, Mr. Iddrisu emphasized that the policy have so far catered for 3.9 million students rather than its projected 5.1 million beneficiaries. “Someone may have been using the inflated 5.1 million figure for other purposes because, based on my assessment of the statistics, this number is inaccurate. The actual number of Ghanaian students benefiting from the policy stands at 3.9 million” he revealed.
He further raised concerns about the negative impacts these inflated figures may have on the country’s finances. ” If someone planned and allocated resources, especially for food, based on the 5.1 million figure, imagine the harm it has caused to the state and the Republic” he said.
The education minister has been keen on the statistics of free shs beneficiaries since the first day he assumed office.
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