Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, has denied claims made by Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, that the government procured sanitary pads for female students at GH¢45 per pack.
Dr. Apaak labelled Assafuah’s assertion as a blatant falsehood, describing it as a figment of a first decomposing elephant.”
Addressing the media at Parliament on Wednesday, the Deputy Minister clarified that the approved prices for procuring sanitary pads under the 2025 Budget range between GH¢19 and GH¢24, significantly lower than the GH¢45 quoted by Assafuah during the 2026 Budget debate.
“This is not just a lie; it is a desperate attempt to deceive the people of Ghana. Nowhere in our procurement process does a sanitary pad cost GH¢45. The highest price is GH¢24, and the lowest is GH¢19,” Dr. Apaak stated.
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He explained that the price variation arises from transportation and distribution costs, which can differ based on the distance between the supplier and the beneficiary schools.
“If a supplier is transporting pads from Accra to the Upper West Region, the cost naturally changes. Nevertheless, the highest price remains GH¢24, never GH¢45,” he emphasized.
Dr. Apaak provided detailed statistics to illustrate the program’s scale and maintain transparency:
Distribution Breakdown:
– 6.6 million packs were distributed in the first batch;
– 5.6 million packs are currently being distributed;
– 20,744 public basic schools have been covered;
– 906 senior high and TVET institutions are included.
Beneficiaries:
– 398,701 female students in basic schools;
– 1.1 million girls in junior high schools;
– 968,285 girls in senior high and TVET institutions, making a total of 2,578,915 girls benefiting from the program so far.
“This intervention is life-changing. It supports dignity, boosts school attendance, and addresses an inequality that has held our girls back for decades,” Dr. Apaak noted.
The Deputy Minister revealed that President John Dramani Mahama directed the procurement of sanitary pads locally, aimed at supporting Ghanaian manufacturers and ensuring value for money. “Multiple local companies were contracted to produce and supply. We refused to repeat the mistakes of the decomposing elephant that inflated prices through sole-sourcing,” he said, referencing previous controversies under the NPP administration.
He stressed that the government’s approach prioritizes transparency, competition, and accountability. Dr. Apaak criticized Vincent Assafuah for what he described as misleading mathematics and political mischief. “The member engaged in what my Minister, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, has called ‘chop bar arithmetic.’ His intention was simple: to create a scandal where none existed,” Dr. Apaak argued.
He reiterated that the NDC government under President Mahama remains dedicated to value for money and protecting public funds.
Dr. Apaak firmly dismissed the claim that any sanitary pads were procured at GH¢45, labelling it a politically motivated fabrication intended to distract the public from genuine accomplishments in the education sector. “There is no scandal — and there will be no scandal. Not under President Mahama. Not under this Ministry,” he stressed.
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