The Headmistress of the OLA Girls Senior High School, Kenyasi has admitted before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that an amount of GH¢357,000 allocated for student feeding was diverted to other operational needs of the school.
The admission was made during a PAC hearing held on April 27, 2026, where issues relating to financial management in senior high schools were being examined.
During the session, she confirmed that funds meant strictly for student feeding were instead used to address urgent operational challenges within the school.
According to explanations presented at the hearing, school administrators sometimes come under pressure due to delays in the release of funds from central government.
These delays, it was noted, can force heads of institutions to make difficult internal financial decisions in order to keep schools running. However, the committee stressed that such actions are not authorized and violate public financial management rules.
The PAC also revealed that OLA Girls SHS was among several institutions flagged for similar issues. At least five other senior high schools in the region, including Hwidiem SHS and Acherensua SHS, were also cited for related financial irregularities involving the use of earmarked funds.
Chairperson of the PAC, Abena Osei Asare, cautioned school heads against the misuse of public funds and emphasized the need for strict compliance with financial regulations.
She further called on the Ministry of Education to address persistent delays in fund disbursement, which contribute to such challenges at the school level.
In response to concerns raised during the hearing, the Ghana Education Service has reportedly released outstanding funds for food procurement as of April 20, 2026, aimed at clearing arrears in the Free SHS feeding programme.
The development has sparked renewed public discussion on accountability within the Free SHS system, as well as the financial pressures faced by school administrators while managing government-funded programmes.
