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CSOs urge ‘more transparency’ in COVID-19 expenditure
Four Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have called for “more transparency and accountability” in the use of funds meant to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
The organisations including, SEND Ghana and the International Budget Partnership, indicate that there have been “significant gaps and inconsistencies” in the provision of information on COVID-19 expenditures by the government.
Recommendations put forward by the CSOs, in a recent survey report, highlighted the need for the Auditor General to “conduct special audits into COVID related spending to ensure value for money.”
The CSOs, presenting the survey report dubbed “Managing COVID Funds: The Accountability Gap”, urged the Ministry of Finance to provide “quarterly briefs on COVID-19 spending from all funding sources.”
The findings presented at stakeholders’ forum in Accra on Tuesday, focused on transparency, extent of public participation, gender-responsiveness, among other aspects of Ghana’s COVID-19 response.
It further sought feedback from individuals on some of the policies introduced by the government between 2020 and 2021 to help tackle the pandemic.
Other partners of the study are the Network for Women’s Right in Ghana (NETRIGHT), BudgiT Ghana, and Community Development Alliance (CDA).
The survey report, which commended the government’s role in reducing the impact of the pandemic, however, indicated that “the lack of information” on emergency medical procurements was one of the “transparency gaps” in the management of COVID-19 funds.
“Many contracts have been entered into by the government of Ghana in the procurement of health equipment, infrastructure and services to help contain the pandemic and mitigate its socio-economic costs. For now, information is lacking as to what procurement processes were undertaken and whether value for money has been ensured.
“There were limited formal opportunities made available by the government to consult with the public around the formulation or implementation of the COVID-19 response, though there were some informal inputs made by specific interest groups,” the report said.
Madam Patricia Akakpo, a representative of NETRIGHT, presenting a gender analysis of COVID-19 related policies, emphasised that the pandemic had worsened existing gender and income inequalities.
She, therefore, urged stakeholders to ensure that policies meant to control the pandemic do not impact the poor and vulnerable negatively.
She stressed the need for government to help eliminate stereotypes and harmful practices such as forced and early marriage and several others that discriminated against women, and called for adequate financial and social reward for health workers to help reduce attrition from the health service.
By Ernest Nutsugah
The Vice Chancellor of the Pentecost University, Apostle Professor Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, is advocating an intentional conversation about the development and education of the boy child in creating stronger families and societies.
According to him, the boy child must not be ignored in conversations on leadership, education, family stability and national transformation because they are key to national development.
“There is a reason why a boy child must not be denied opportunities like education; he is a future leader. When boys are trained well, society becomes safer and stronger,” he stated.
Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua made the remark at a forum organised by the Church of Pentecost Schools Outreach Ministry in Accra to observe the International Day of the Boy Child observed on May 16.
It was held in collaboration with the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and the Ghana Education Service (GES), and under the theme: ‘Flourish and Thrive: Investing and Unleashing Boys for Strong Families and Communities.’
Leading the discussion, the Pentecost University Vice Chancellor warned that poor mentorship, declining in education, harmful social media influences and emotional neglect have made a lot of young boys vulnerable.
With a lot of the attention switching to the girl child, the boy child, he said was confronted with many challenges including violence, substance abuse, educational decline, emotional neglect and the absence of positive role models.
According to Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua, he noted that boys were turning to social media for direction due to the absence of fathers and mentors to help shape their lives.
“If we are not intentional, social media will mentor our children for us. We are not saying they should not use social media, but they should be guided to access the right information to excel in life,” he stated.
Prof. Agyapong-Kodua urged society to encourage boys to become creators of technology rather than mere consumers.
Contributing, Madam Gifty Asiedu, Director of the Girls’ Education Unit at the GES Headquarters, said the service remained committed to ensuring that no child was left behind, adding that, “supporting the boy child should not come at the expense of progress made in girl-child education.”
“If you focus intentionally on one gender and neglect the other, you create a societal problem,” she underlined.
She said the GES had observed some decline in boys’ retention in school, although the gap between boys and girls was not yet too wide.
“Over the years, attention has been focused on the girl child and we have seen the benefits. However, data now show that the statistics concerning the boy child continue to decline,” she indicated.
She explained that the service was implementing gender-responsive education to ensure that classroom teaching addressed the needs of both boys and girls equally.
Elder Barima Acheampong Sarpong II, Deputy Director of the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and Chief of Asante Asaman in the Ashanti Region, said society needed to critically examine the plight of boys.
“As we celebrate the International Day for the Boy Child, I urge every man to identify one boy child, find out how he is doing and dedicate some time to mentoring him,” he explained.
The programme, attended by educators, church leaders and policymakers, was the second edition following a partnership initiated last year between the Schools Outreach Ministry, the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and the GES.
It sought to improve school enrolment, completion rates and learning outcomes among boys so they could grow into responsible men who would build strong families and communities.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Candidates that wrote the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in Ho Municipality are hopeful of obtaining good grades to make everyone especially their parents and the Regional Minister proud.
The candidates said they had so far sat the examination with focus and integrity after a call from Mr James Gunu, Regional Minister to avoid examination malpractice saying, they expected great performance upon release of results.
Mr Gunu, at the start of this year’s BECE delivered the message during a monitoring visit to some centres in the municipality including Ho Kpodzi EP Basic A School, Mawuli School, Mawuko Girls Senior High School (SHS), and Kabore School.
He urged the candidates to rely on hard work and discipline, warning that shortcuts could jeopardise their future.
“Stay focused and give your best in this year’s BECE – your determination and hard work will pay off. Avoid shortcuts and examination malpractice; integrity matters just as much as success,” he said.
The Minister, accompanied by the Ho Municipal Chief Executive, the acting Volta Regional Director of Education, and the Ho Municipal Director of Education, encouraged candidates to view the exam as a foundation for their academic journey and to celebrate responsibly after the final paper, commending parents, guardians, teachers, and officials of the Ghana Education Service for their support in preparing the candidates.
Candidates at some of the centres Ghana News Agency visited, echoed the call for honesty and high standards.
At Kabore School, Ms Francisca Atsu of Sokode Lokoe MA Basic School said, “The Regional Minister was here earlier to speak to us and also to encourage us. We’ve done our best. I assure him that we will make him and our parents proud.”
At Taviefe SHS Centre, Ms Valentina Sakpla of Taviefe R.C Basic School added, “We are expecting good results to make everyone proud and for our own good.”
Mr David Dotse, Supervisor at Kabore School, hosting 11 schools, with a standby ambulance on site to cater for any health emergency, reported smooth proceedings. –GNA
