Bawumia’s promise to replace textbooks with laptops has created a crisis for gov’t – Ablakwa

Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has claimed that government is struggling to finance Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s promise to replace textbooks with laptops in senior high schools.

Speaking at an event in the Volta Region in May, the Vice President indicated that plans are far advanced to implement the initiative before the end of 2023.

“If this country must move forward in the right direction, we must invest in education which is the only platform for preparing nation builders for tomorrow.

“The Minister for Education has also assured me that this year, we’ll start the replacement textbooks with laptops that have textbooks embedded in Senior high Schools,” Dr. Bawumia said.

In a statement on Facebook on Thursday, June 8, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa noted that the promise has created a crisis for government.

“Vice President Bawumia has apparently created another crisis for his government with his Free Laptops for SHS students announcement as government struggles to finance the Veep’s latest wish list,” the North Tongu MP said in his post.

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa adds that the crisis has led to government failing once again to present the 2023 proposed GETFund Formula to Parliament this week for approval despite featuring on Parliament’s Order Paper for Wednesday, June 7, 2023.

Insiders say Bawumia’s free laptop promise will cost government at least GHS1.4 billion, however, after 6 years of mismanaging the GETFund, only some GHS200 million is expected to be available in the fund this year.

The MP says government's conundrum now is where to find the GHS1.2 billion deficit; plus how to find additional resources to settle other GETFund commitments including paying agitating contractors.