The Ministry of Education, responding to a report by The Fourth Estate, suggested that it paid 56 million cedis to internet service provider Busy Internet (now Lifted Logistics Limited) despite the company failing to fully provide internet services to some schools across the country.
The report highlighted how many schools covered by the government’s Wi-Fi for schools programme had been left without internet access for months, and in some cases years, despite the government paying for the service.
For schools that had internet access, the service was often slow, forcing them to turn to other providers.
The lack of reliable internet made ICT learning particularly difficult in some schools, including Accra Academy, Labone SHS and Bolgatanga SHS, about 50 schools in total.
The Fourth Estate noted that despite IT coordinators at some schools reporting challenges they were facing with Wi-Fi connections, Busy Internet failed to act.
However, the ministry said that GH¢84 million for the supply of hardware, installation, maintenance, training and testing of Wi-Fi across 1,013 institutions, as well as monthly recurring expenses, had been approved.
“Pursuant to the review clause of the agreement signed in 2019, the PPA approved an upward review of the monthly recurrent expenses, capping them at an amount not to exceed GH₵11,522,661.81 in 2023, taking into account current inflation and foreign exchange rates,” the Ministry of Education said in a press release.
The ministry said despite the approved monthly recurrent expenditure for services provided, it only pays for the cost of accessible dedicated internet.
“Specifically, the contract provides that we compensate our suppliers on a pro rata basis. As a result, any downtime up to and including halfway through a given month will not be paid for.”
“This means that irrespective of the amount approved for recurrent expenditure, if services do not reach the 50% threshold (less than half the month) in a particular month, the ministry will not pay pesewa.”
The ministry said various monitoring mechanisms have therefore been put in place to monitor service connectivity, including reporting lines from school ICT coordinators, Wi-Fi monitoring tools and network operations rooms.
The ministry said, among other things, the system will help in timely detection and resolution of connectivity issues in institutions across the country and will also help the ministry know how much they should pay for services in a particular month.
The Ministry of Education noted that in addition to these measures, the contract also provides for a committee made up of the Ministry of Education, GES, NaCCa and NCA to scrutinise and certify all invoices before any payment is made to Lifted Logistics Limited.
“There is also a verification committee set up by the Minister of Education which will impartially review all invoices before payment is made to vendors. For instance, in February 2024, even though an invoice for GH¢6,498,827.90 was submitted, the Ministry of Education paid GH¢3,637,569.20 after review,” they noted.
The ministry also said it was considering terminating some of its contracts with schools that were experiencing problems with satellite connections.
They said: “The situation arises out of Lifted Logistics’ Limited (formerly Busy Internet) failing to make payments to its provider.”
![](https://www.myjoyonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/WhatsApp-Image-2024-06-04-at-05.41.49.jpeg)
![](https://www.myjoyonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/WhatsApp-Image-2024-06-04-at-05.41.49.jpeg)
![](https://www.myjoyonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/WhatsApp-Image-2024-06-04-at-06.47.34.jpeg)
![](https://www.myjoyonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/WhatsApp-Image-2024-06-04-at-06.47.34.jpeg)
Meanwhile, the Fourth Estate pointed out that, despite multiple requests for information, the Ministry of Education has refused to provide a monthly breakdown of the amounts it has paid to Busy Internet since January 2020, for the period from July 2023 onwards.
Lift Logistics’ Head of Operations, Dickinson Agyapong Bempah, also told Fourth Estate that the company had not submitted invoices to the Ghanaian government for months when it did not provide services to certain schools.
However, the Fourth Estate revealed that Accra Academy, Labone Senior High School and Bolgatanga Girls had been denied internet access for up to 24 months under the Busy Internet Project, even though the schools featured prominently in the list of schools for which Lift Logistics had charged and received payment for internet services.
The company also received payments for St Mary’s SHS, Korlegonno, Fafraha Community Day SHS, Ada Technical, Nungua SHS, Presby SHS, Tessy Presbyterian SHS, Ashaiman SHS, Kpeze SHS, Toase SHS, Bawku and Adyama SHS between 2020 and 2023, all of which did not have access to the internet during the year.
Advocacy group Africa Education Watch also conducted a survey and found that 107 of 150 schools it visited across the country were not benefiting from the free Wi-Fi for schools project.
Read more: Free Wi-Fi: Government to pay GHS56 million to service providers for lack of internet in schools
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education maintained that it was committed to ensuring value for money in all its efforts.
They reassured the people of the government’s commitment to improving education with a view to achieving socio-economic transformation.
“The ministry urges the public to disregard any wrong impressions created by this publication,” it added.
Disclaimer: The views, comments, opinions, contributions and statements made by readers and contributors on this platform do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Multimedia Group Limited.