Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, the Member of Parliament for Builsa South, has voiced his strong opposition to the government’s practice of diverting funds from the Assembly Common Fund.
His concerns are particularly pointed at a time when public basic education is facing significant challenges.
In a passionate speech delivered in Parliament, Dr. Apaak expressed his dismay over the allocation of Common Fund resources towards projects such as AstroTurfs. He questioned the government’s prioritization of such endeavors over addressing the urgent needs of public education, especially in rural areas where infrastructure is lacking.
Dr. Apaak emphasized the pressing need to allocate sufficient resources to enhance the quality of basic education, highlighting the inadequacies in educational infrastructure faced by many communities across the country. He pointed out the dire situation where students are forced to study in environments lacking proper facilities, including sitting on bare floors or stones due to the lack of furniture.
“While it is admirable that some allocation has been made to support education, I wish to state emphatically that given the current challenges that we face, particularly in the rural parts of this country, we ought to take another look at allocating monies for the construction of AstroTurfs,” Dr. Apaak asserted during his parliamentary address.
He further questioned the rationale behind prioritizing AstroTurfs over essential educational infrastructure such as kindergartens and the procurement of furniture for students. Dr. Apaak stressed that while investing in sports facilities like AstroTurfs may have its merits, it should not come at the expense of addressing the fundamental needs of basic education.
The District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) was established with the primary objective of channeling financial resources from the central government to local governments (MMDAs) to support their development initiatives. However, Dr. Apaak’s remarks shed light on the concerns surrounding the allocation and utilization of these funds, particularly in the context of education.
It is imprudent to use the District Assembly Common Fund to fund AstroTurfs when our public basic education is struggling. I raised this and other matters during the debate on the 2024 District Assembly Common Fund in Parliament. pic.twitter.com/S2NOBvrXPG
— Dr. Clement Abas Apaak (@DrApaak) March 29, 2024
Source: ghanaweb.live
