Otumfuo Education Fund Yields 2.2 Billion Cedis

The Otumfuo Education Fund (OEF) has collected a total of 2.2 billion cedis cash from individuals and organisations since it was established in 1999.

Nana Brefo-Boateng, Executive Secretary of the Fund, announced this at a press briefing in Kumasi on Monday, to launch Otumfuo Education Fund Week and Fund Raising Dinner Dance, starting from June 2.

He said a total of 1,450 pupils and students were being sponsored at a cost of 600 million cedis while 17 schools and institutions had benefited from the fund as a result of pledges made by the Asantehene.

Nana Brefo-Boateng said the fund's board had also provided financial assistance ranging from 11 to 15 million cedis to 13 Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) throughout Asanteman to undertake various infrastructure projects.

He said 11 other SSS in non-urban areas had also been selected to receive 15 million cedis each to procure materials for teaching and learning.

The fund had also distributed a number of dual desks, computers and books to a number of schools in the region.

Nana Brefo-Boateng, however, expressed regret about the inability of some paramount chiefs to collect contributions from their subjects towards the fund.

He said under the directives of Otumfuo, all the paramount chiefs in Asanteman were tasked to collect 2,400 cedis a year or 200 cedis a month from each taxpayer within their areas of jurisdiction on behalf of the fund.

Nana Brefo-Boateng said some individuals and organisations including some paramount chiefs who collected receipt books when the fund was launched, had either refused to submit monies collected to the fund or account for the receipt books collected.

He said the names of such chiefs and organisations would soon be published in the media to enable them wake up to their responsibilities.

Nana Brefo-Boateng, however, commended some of the paramount chiefs who had been working hard to collect contributions from the people.