Claim: Social media users are sharing images to back claims that the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam Project is making progress.
False! The photos being used to back the claims are not from the project site.
Full Text
President Akufo-Addo, in November 2019, cut sod for the construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam in the Upper East Region.
The project, which is estimated to cost the government US$ 993million, comprises a 60MW hydroelectricity, 50MW solar power, and an irrigation facility to enable all-year-round farming in the beneficiary communities.
Presenting the 2022 budget statement on the floor of Parliament, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta said that the mobilization of major construction equipment and facilities to the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam and Irrigation Project site was ongoing.
“Contractors are scheduled to start the construction of access roads and bridges, as well as a camp equipped with water and power supply facilities,” point 804 of the budget reads.
Point 809 of the budget also announced that the government will “commence the construction of the main dam under the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam and Irrigation Project.”
Whilst there is no major report yet on the progress of the project, social media users are sharing photos claiming that the project has taken shape.
A collage of the four images that are being circulated as a representation of progress with the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam
Verification
Given how important this project is to the development of the northern parts of the country, DUBAWA decided to subject these claims to scrutiny and to be sure the project was indeed progressing steadily.
To authenticate these claims, DUBAWA conducted a Google Reverse Image search for all the photos to ascertain their origin.
The photo is also available on iStockphoto, online royalty free, international micro stock photography based in Canada. The photo was uploaded in May 2014 and the description of the photo indicated that the photo was the Akosombo Hydroelectric Power Station on the Volta River.
The photo was found on fineartsamerica.com, an online art marketplace and print-on-demand technology company. The photo was titled: “Kerr Dam early in the morning.” They named Larry Kjorvested as the photographer of the image. The photograph was taken on June 5, 2011.
The Kerr Dam is located in the United States of America.
We found this image on a Korean blog. There was an inscription on the photo that suggested that it was taken in September 2013. The photo was captioned as “Daecheong Dam”
Further searches led us to pixtastock.com, where it was also indicated that the photo of the Daecheong Dam, located in South Korea.
Conclusion
The four photos being used to back claims that Pwalugu Dam is progressing steadily are not from the project site and it is false to use same to represent the project site.
Claim: Government has suspended School Feeding Programme
It is a planned expansion of the School Feeding Programme that has been suspended, not the programme itself.
Full Text
Social media, particularly Facebook, has been awash with reports of the government’s decision to suspend the implementation of the School Feeding programme, a policy introduced to provide one hot meal a day to pupils in basic education.
A senior journalist, Alfred Ogbamey, and other Facebook users, as can be seen here and here triggered what became a bout of controversy over the future of a policy that sustained many pupils in school over the last decade.
Mainstream online media houses, including Adomonline.com and hotstoriesghana.com were not left out of the controversy with reports claiming the government had suspended the programme following years of indebtedness to the caterers.
The response by Mrs Dapaah to the question on school feeding later became the subject of controversy with a tinge of partisanship, especially on Facebook.
The School Feeding Programme was introduced in 2005 as a social protection intervention under the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) Pillar III and was in response to meeting the first and second Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Verification
Having followed the controversy and the heated exchanges on facebook and other online platforms, DUBAWA decided to fact-check the claim and to see if the 17-year-old policy had been put to bed, at least for a while.
We first called Alfred Ogbarmey to find out from him if, beyond the Minister’s response from Parliament, he had additional information that suggested the School Feeding Programme had been suspended in whole or in part.
He was emphatic that his comment on Facebook was wholly based on the Minister’s pronouncements on the floor of Parliament, insisting that expanding the school Feeding Programme has always been part of the programme itself and that if the expansion has been suspended he was not wrong in stating that part of the Programme had been suspended.
But others were even more vehement in the claim suggesting the entire programme had been suspended.
Images: Facebook claims suggesting the School Feeding Programme had been suspended
DUBAWA then proceeded to Parliament to find the exact question posed to the minister in charge and her exact response. On the Order Paper, which outlines the business of Parliament each day, the Yilo Krobo MP, Albert Tetteh Nyakotey asked the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection “when the School Feeding Programme would be extended to the following schools in the Yilo Krobo Municipality: (i) Apersua M/A Primary School (ii) Besease Donguanor R/C Primary School (iii) Esuan Yilo M/A Primary School (iv) [2] Klo – Agogo Presbyterian Basic School (v) Klo -Agogo R/C Basic School (vi) Klo – Agogo Anglican Primary School (vii) Klo Agogo M/A Basic School (viii) Nkurakan M/A Basic School (ix) Nsutapong Methodist Basic School (x) Obawale Methodist KG/Primary School (xi) Perpertifi M/A KG/Primary School (xii) Sawer M/A KG/Primary School (xiii) Tsremati – Donguanor M/A Basic School (xiv) Aboa – Osuboniya Basic School (xv) Nsutapong M/A KG/Primary School (xvi) Tsakatsakami M/A Primary School.”
The response by the minister was as follows as evidenced in 1:51-2:23 of the attached video.
“Currently, the expansion of the programme is on hold. We are clearing all arrears of caterers and putting in place measures to ensure effective and efficient service delivery to all beneficiaries as well as caterers. We are also putting in place a Management Information System to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of the system. We shall surely inform the house when we are ready to expand the programme to cover additional schools.”
Despite the response by the caretaker Minister, DUBAWA proceeded to the School Feeding Secretariat to find out the true situation of the policy.
In a conversation, the Communications Officer at the Secretariat, Isaac Essel, said the claims on social media and mainstream online platforms about the suspension of the school feeding programme was a clear case of “misreporting.”
He said at no point did the minister announce suspension of the policy.
Providing a background to the question posed by the MP, Isaac Essel explained that the Finance Minister in the 2022 budget statement had announced the expansion of the policy which was supposed to cover over 4 million children in basic schools.
According to him, the policy currently covers some 3.4million children which was about 80% of the student population in basic school. The intention of the government, he noted, was to cover the entire student population in the current financial year. As a follow up to the Finance Minister’s expansion announcement, the MP for Yilo Krobo wanted to find out when his constituents will receive their fair share of the hot meal policy.
“So in an answer to the question on the floor of Parliament, the Gender Minister stated that the expansion policy has been put on hold. I am surprised some media houses completely misreported what the minister said,” he stated.
Conclusion
In conclusion, DUBAWA can say it is false and misleading for anyone to suggest the School Feeding Programme had been suspended. Rather it is the planned expansion of the programme that has been put on hold and not the entire programme itself.
Claim: The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, claims Ghana is the only West African country that has subsidized fertilizers for local farmers.
Research shows that Niger and Nigeria which are West African countries have all subsidized fertilizer for their farmers.
He was speaking on the Kokrokoo Morning Show on Peace Fm, hosted by Kwame Sefa Kayi on March 3, 2022. The claim was made on the (17 minutes:11 seconds to 17 minutes :30 seconds) of the interview when the host questioned him on measures taken to end fertilizer smuggling in the country and why fertilizer is being smuggled.
In response to the question, the Minister who spoke in a local dialect, “Twi ” said “To begin with, the first is the government’s decision to reduce the prices of fertilizer in the country. In the West African Region, no country has subsidized fertilizer. Talk of Togo, Côte D’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, they don’t subsidize fertilizer.”
The show was streamed live on major social media platforms, including Facebook and YouTube. On YouTube, it has garnered over 4,000 views.
Verification
Agriculture is the backbone of many African countries. Even though it contributes immensely to the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) in some West African countries, production has been one of the challenges local farmers face. As such, helping farmers by subsiding fertilizers is one of the major ways countries have tried to assist their farmers.
When a government says it has subsidized fertilizer for farmers, it means it has compensated fertilizer companies to produce and sell fertilizers to farmers below market prices.
In real terms, is Ghana the only country that has subsided fertilizer for farmers in West Africa?
According to the United Nations, West Africa includes the following countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte D’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo.
During our research, we found a West African Fertilizer Watch document focusing on fertilizer programs in Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo in 2020. In this document, the countries listed above have all implemented fertilizer subsidy programs for farmers in their countries.
With this initiative, prices of fertilizer were reduced from N9,000-N11,000 per bag to N5,500 for local farmers. This is confirmed in a news report by premiumtimes.com, a major online news portal in Nigeria and allafrica.com.
In Niger, the government in 2010 introduced the Central Supply of Inputs and Agricultural Materials (CAIMA) to help boost agricultural production, by helping farmers get access to fertilizers at low cost. This program was later confronted with challenges. As a result and with the help of Challenge Cooperation (MCC) and the government of Niger, the National Fertilizer Reform Plan was established.
Before its implementation, a pilot programme in 2019 was done and of the 15,000 potential participants (farmers) identified, 12,830 were successfully registered and issued electronic voucher cards. By the end of the pilot, 7,211 farmers had each received four bags of fertilizer. The subsidy by the government paid for two.
Conclusion
With the evidence provided, DUBAWA can conclude that Ghana is not the only West African country that has subsidized fertilizer for its farmers. Research shows that countries like Niger and Nigeria have all subsidized fertilizer for farmers in their country.
Claim: North Tongu MP, Okudzeto Ablakwa, says that Ghana recorded the biggest budget deficit in the world, due to COVID-19 expenditure
The 15.2% of GDP quoted by Mr. Ablakwa as Ghana’s budget deficit for 2020 is lower, compared to some countries, including Oman and Kuwait. The two countries recorded a budget deficit of 19.3% of GDP and 15.4% of GDP respectively in 2020.
Full Text
Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has claimed that Ghana recorded the biggest budget deficit in the world in the heat of the Covid19 pandemic.
He says that this was a result of the government’s COVID-19 expenditure.
Mr. Ablakwa made the claim during an engagement on Newsfile, a socio-political news analysis show that airs on JoyNews.
“Why is it that the Ghanaian Parliament alone cannot have a special committee to look into COVID-19 expenditure which runs into billions? Because of COVID-19 expenditure, we recorded the biggest budget deficit in the world – 15.2%,” the lawmaker said.
In effect, the MP is claiming that the gap between expenditure and income for the Government of Ghana is the widest when it is compared to that of other countries across the world during the pandemic.
Therefore, to authenticate the claim by the lawmaker, DUBAWA will check the data from these institutions and compare them to that of other countries.
Last year, the IMF released its Fiscal Monitor Report which is a detailed overview of countries’ fiscal actions in response to COVID-19.
In the report, Ghana was classified as a Low-Income Developing Country, alongside the likes of Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo.
According to the report, the average deficits as a share of GDP in 2020 reached 11.7 percent for advanced economies, 9.8 percent for emerging market economies, and 5.5 percent for low-income developing countries.
The report noted that the rise in deficits in low-income developing countries, such as Ghana, “stemmed primarily from the collapse in revenues caused by the economic downturn.”
What was Ghana’s General Government Overall Balance for 2020?
Although the IMF did not use the term “budget deficit” in its data presentation, it explains in a publication on its website that overall balance “measures the difference between revenues and grants, and expenditure and net lending.”
The IMF April 2021 Report indicated that Ghana’s General Government Overall Balance was 16.0% of its GDP in 2020.
“The fiscal deficit including energy and financial sector costs worsened to 15.2 percent of GDP, with a further 2.1 percent of GDP in additional spending financed through the accumulation of domestic arrears.”
The World Bank’s October 2021 update on Ghana’s Economic Outlook also mentioned that the country’s fiscal deficit was 15.2% of GDP for 2020.
However, figures from the Ministry of Finance are different from what the two authorities quote.
“The overall budget deficit on a cash basis was 11.7 percent of GDP against a revised target of 11.4 percent of GDP,” the 2021 budget indicated.
Clearly, there is some disagreement amongst the data sources on what Ghana’s budget deficit is for 2020.
Since Mr. Ablakwa quoted Ghana’s 2020 budget deficit to be 15.2%, it is very likely that he was using World Bank/IMF figures for Ghana.
What’s the budget deficit situation like for other countries?
Ghana is not the only country with different authorities publishing different figures regarding their budget deficit.
A December 2021 publication in the UK House of Commons Library indicated that the country’s budget deficit was equal to 15.1% of GDP.
“In 2020/21 government revenue – from taxes and other receipts – was £792 billion while government spending was £1,115 billion (£1.1 trillion). The deficit was therefore £323 billion, equivalent to 15.1% of GDP, which is a peacetime record. As we discuss below, the budget deficit ballooned because of the coronavirus pandemic,” parts of the publication read.
However, the IMF April 2021 Report indicated that the UK’s General Government Overall Balance was 13.4% of its GDP.
German database organization, Statista, also quotes the UK’s budget balance, also known as budget deficit, for 2020 as 12.53% of GDP.
These contradictions were the same in the case of the United States of America. Whilst the IMF Report indicated that the US budget deficit was 15.8% of its GDP, statista mentioned 14.85%.
How does Ghana’s 2020 budget deficit stand against others?
If the figure from the Finance Ministry (11.7% of GDP) is used against others, it will be false to claim that Ghana recorded the biggest budget deficit in the world in 2020 due to COVID-19, as the likes of the US and UK recorded higher figures, according to figures from their local authorities.
Again, if the 15.2% of GDP figure quoted by the World Bank/IMF is used, it will also be lower if compared to countries such as Oman.
Kuwait, a country in the Middle East, also recorded a relatively higher budget deficit – 15.4% of GDP (including investment income)
Conclusion
Whilst there are not many countries that recorded higher budget deficits as Ghana did, it is not true that Ghana’s 15.2% of GDP budget deficit is the highest in the world in 2020. At least, Oman and Kuwait recorded higher budget deficits – 19.3% of GDP and 15.4% of GDP respectively.
Claim: According to a purported BBC News report, a case of nuclear attack has been recorded between Russia and Nato near the coast of Latvia.
This is not a BBC news broadcast. Findings reveal that the video has been in circulation since 2018 and has been repurposed for circulation.
Full Text
A video making the rounds on WhatsApp suggests that the BBC, in a breaking news broadcast, has declared that Russia has launched nuclear attacks from the coast of Latvia.
The video opens with the voice of a woman alerting viewers of the need to interrupt regular programming to allow for a breaking news story. It then follows with the BBC signature tune for breaking news after which a male newscaster proceeds;
“Welcome to the BBC news desk. We have breaking news of a serious incident between Russia and NATO forces near the coast of Latvia. Although the details are uncertain, early reports indicate that a Russian surveillance aircraft was fired upon by naval vessels of NATO forces…”
The video goes on further to mention an evacuation of the Queen of England and other important members of the royal family. It ends with the following words on the screen.
“Emergency broadcast. Nuclear attack warning. Severity: Extreme. Known threat: Nuclear air attack. Certainty: High. Seek shelter immediately.”
The video makes no attempt to provide information regarding specificity to the day or time of the supposed incident but strongly hints at a “state of war.”
Reactions of viewers on the Whatsapp platforms have been varied but a good number of them have been alarmed.
“This is all too terrifying”, one said while another in a panicky mood stated; “damn. I’m scared now.”
DUBAWA is unable to share a screenshot of the WhatsApp conversations due to respect for the privacy of the members of the platforms.
Verification
Initial search conducted by DUBAWA led to a Reuters Fact-check published in January 2022 following the video’s appearance on social media platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook. The content of the video is the same as the current video being circulated except for little background edits.
The BBC disassociated itself from this video as far back as 2018.
Image: BBC News Press Team response to fake video spread on Twitter
Exact same video, different background/ backdrop
The two videos- the one shared in 2018 and the one currently being shared- share the same content, however, the backdrop used within the video has been modified.
Using the reverse image search, DUBAWA discovered a website with the same video in question being used for purposes, other than education or information.
Image: Screenshot of the website with free downloadable BBC News backdrop
The same video, posted on June 14th, 2018, was also spotted on YouTube with the Caption;
“Originally posted by Ben Marking, this video is a FICTIONALIZED news broadcast from the BBC. No actual conflict is going on and certainly no nuclear conflict between NATO and Russian forces. Again, this is a work of fiction, nothing more. It is for entertainment purposes only If the OP should .”
In its circulation however, the clause of “It is for entertainment purposes only…” was not attached.
Conclusion
Despite the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and a possibility of a full blown war which may involve NATO, DUBAWA can say that the content of the viral video is not only old but fake and has nothing to do with the BBC.
Claim: Social media users are sharing videos online to back claims of Russian jets in Ukraine
The viral video being shared dates back to 2020.
Full Text
A video of aircraft flying in unison has gone viral online with social media users affirming that they are Russian jets that have taken over Ukrainian airspace.
These claims can be found on Twitter and YouTube (here, here, here, and here)
Among the search results was a link to the YouTube video that had been uploaded on May 4, 2020.
The caption of the video was in Russian but when translated into English may read as: “Parade rehearsal for May 9th. The flight of aircraft over Tushino.”
On June 15, 2020, a Russian-based television station, Moscow 24 uploaded a video on its YouTube channel. The video’s title, when translated to English reads as “Airports in the capital have put a stop to work due to the rehearsal for the Victory Parade.”
Conclusion
DUBAWA rates the claim as false because the video has existed, at least two years before the recent escalation of tension between Russia and Ukraine.
There is a phenomenon of each social medium having a seemingly distinct group of audiences that is worth highlighting in relation to media and information literacy. If you are averagely active on Twitter, you may have seen some tweets that suggest how Twitter users relate differently to content (albeit uncharitable, in this case) on the platform.
In observing the reaction to cross-posted photos on Twitter and Instagram, some users have acknowledged an unfriendly reception to celebrities’ photos on Twitter contrasting the warm reception of Instagram users to those same photos. In a Ghanaian context, a user had this to say about a Ghanaian singer, “Funny how Wendy Shay gets all the nice comments on Instagram but negative comments on Twitter. Most people on Twitter are just bitter, and a bunch of cyberbullies and it’s not even funny…” In a Nigerian context, a user remarked a similar occurrence with a Nigerian actor, “Lol Twitter people are not nice. Tobi Bakre posted this same picture on Instagram and his comment section is filled with love and light. But no, you people here just have to show yourselves.” In a totally different context on a similar subject, a user gave this explanation, “Not to say I don’t hit the heart button to a nice picture, but for me, Twitter is about engagement, Instagram is about the likes…”
Though this user’s personal reason may not be a general justification for some people’s bluntness about photos on Twitter, it further opens up the discussion on social media and its seeming distinct audiences and their responses to content to be situated in the discourse of media and information literacy. Beyond consuming information (through text, photo, video, or audio), identifying the functionality of the medium, its major distinct features, how it enables users to communicate and how users consequently use them is paramount. This is critical, more so because failing to understand a medium’s purpose and functionality can transform the information on those channels to manifest as a kind of information disorder.
What happened with a TikTok video originating from Kenya which Dubawa had to provide context and clarity to some Nigerian audiences was an example of this. In July 2021, a Kenyan TikTok satirical video found its way on other social media platforms and was believed by a number of the Nigerian community on WhatsApp and Instagram to be a desperate feminist begging for a husband.
Peace Lois Mbae, a Kenyan TikToker who at the time the video was produced identified as a content creator on satire, commentary, and comedy, produced a 1-minute 45-second TikTok skit where she is seen crying and denouncing her previous feminist ideologies, pleading for a husband, and stating that she would serve and obey him as a wife should. In the comment section of the video on TikTok, a good number of users understood the video to be satire, and the content producer is also seen confirming to audiences that it was satirical. But this intent appears to have been missed when the video surfaced on other channels.
An article on Pocket-Lint explains the functionality of TikTok. It states that users can create videos of themselves by lip-syncing, dancing, or acting skits. The features on TikTok also enable video editing and customization, where users have access to different songs, filters, sound bites; are able to duet with others by replying to a video, creating a split-screen and reactions, or adding their own sounds and lip-syncing to videos of others. If these basic features are not known, there is a tendency to misinterpret a number of videos originating from TikTok. The need for media and information literacy can not be overemphasized.
Because we are presented with a host of content on different information outlets, asking basic yet critical questions such as “What is the purpose of this medium I am on, and what typically happens here? With the present medium I am using, do I find this information out of place on the platform? Who is sharing this information? What are the facts available in comparison to this new information I am receiving? How do I react to such information given the facts available about the information being received?” can be very helpful.
Answering such questions goes a long way to processing the varied information found online; how to receive them, how to engage with them, and how to consequently apply them… to be continued…
Viral TikTok video suggests that men can check the potency of their semen by doing a test that requires just a glass of water.
Experts do not recommend the at-home-water-in-a-glass test to ascertain semen health.
Full Text
A TikToker with over 281K followers by the name @mrbetyoudidntknow has posted a video that shows a woman educating viewers on how a glass of water is an efficient at-home way to find out if the “soldiers are marching” for men. The post has garnered over 2.9 million views, 352.2K likes, and has been shared over 33K times.
Image: Screenshot of the posted video
Even though most contributors found it funny, other users were curious and interested, asking if anyone had tried it and if the video contents were fact or nonsense.
Image: Screenshot of comment section
According to the video, a glass should be filled with room temperature water to one inch below the rim of the glass. The semen should then be left for a minimum of 2-3 minutes and a maximum of 5 minutes. If semen rests at the bottom of the glass, it means that the health of the semen is very good; if it floats in the middle of the glass, it means that the semen has average health and if it floats at the top of the glass, it shows very poor semen health that requires immediate medical attention.
Verification
A basic online search revealed similar content published on nairaland.com, Facebook, YouTube, and many other online platforms, all making the same claim as the TikTok video in question. None provided any scientific explanation as to why this would be an effective test.
DUBAWA spoke to Dr. Alfred Ogoe, a Urologist at the Jubail Specialist Hospital in Tema, who expressed surprise at the claim.
“I have never heard of this before. As scientists, it is important to look at semen under a microscope to determine semen health. There is no study that supports this unless I have not seen it,” he said.
Dr. Ogoe added that no doctor would approve such a test to determine true semen health.
A search conducted by DUBAWA to find the scientific basis for examining semen health through at-home-water-tests did not yield any meaningful results. The only water-related test DUBAWA found relating to semen was the hypoosmotic swelling test which analyses the integrity of sperm membranes.
Determining semen health the “scientific way”
After semen is collected, it is sent to the laboratory for tests to find out; the number of sperms present within it, any abnormalities in the shape and movement of the sperms, and possible signs of infections.
Tests like semen analysis, which looks closely at the semen to evaluate semen concentration, sperm count, sperm morphology, sperm motility, and the hypo-osmotic swelling test, which also looks at the sperm plasma membrane ( a vital proponent for determining sperm motility and fertilisation and a useful indicator of fertility of a sperm) among others, are conducted to determine the quality of semen or better put, the quality of sperm in the semen.
Semen and water contact
Online health platforms like thehealthblog.com suggest that variables like temperature and consistency are factors to be considered when looking at what happens to semen when it comes into contact with water.
Semen contains water; however, the consistency may differ in semen depending on circumstances like diet. Whereas some semen may be thick, some may have a more watery, thin texture, which makes them sink easily in water. The thicker counterparts may usually stay afloat for a longer period. This however does not mean much for semen health.
There are some home test kits that are suggested for people who want to go the home-test route. However, such tests are said to only measure sperm count, which is only one aspect of male fertility.
Conclusion
There is no scientific backing to the at-home-water-in-a-glass semen test suggested in the TikTok video. Experts recommend proper laboratory testing to determine semen health.
Claim: 44,000 teachers out of 284,000 basic education teachers left the teaching profession in 2021 alone. This is 15%, the highest in 20 years. They left mostly because of poor remuneration, lack of logistics etc – Dr. Apaak
Even though the number of basic school teachers in 2021 was reduced by over 44,000, it had nothing to do with poor working conditions of teachers but more to do with the technical definition of who a trained teacher is during the compilation of the data.
Full Text
In January 2022, when the usual Twitter banter started on “phrases Ghanaian school teachers use,” it was identified that not only were Ghanaian basic school teachers humorous in their use of language but also, they had similar traits allowing for most Millennials across the country to share experiences from basic school. Unfortunately, no one would be able to have a basic school-teacher experience to recount if a high number of teachers were resigning or not at post. More importantly, children of school age would have no basic education at all. And on a developmental level, Ghana will not be able to meet all 10 educational targets of the Sustainable Development Goal 4 set for 2030 if adequate teachers are not available to teach.
It is in this vein that Dr. Clement Apaak’s January 10, 2022 claim about the attrition rate of teachers in basic school, created heated public debate in the educational sub-sector with a tinge of partisanship especially on Facebook.
Titled “Education in Crisis – Basic Schools,” the Member of Parliament for Builsa South and a Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament highlighted some issues concerning the state of public basic schools on his Facebook page with the most topical of them all being a claim that: “44,000 teachers out of 284,000 basic school teachers left the teaching profession in 2021 alone. This is 15%, the highest in 20 years. Why did they walk away from the classroom, and how soon will they be replaced?,” Dr. Apaak asked.
His statement has sparked some controversy on social as well as on traditional media with varying sentiments from readers. Dr. Apaak has since granted a number of interviews including the one on TV3, in which he reiterated the claim and added that unsatisfactory conditions of service, no appropriate tools to perform, and remuneration were reported reasons for the walking out of these 44,000 basic school teachers.
Contrary figures from other high-ranking persons on Facebook
Shortly after Apaak’s claim, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, Kwasi Kwarteng rebutted, stating that the figures by Dr. Clement Apaak were misleading. In a Facebook post on 20 January 2022, Mr. Kwarteng stated,
“Claims that 44,000 teachers walked out of the classroom can only be described as assumptive speculations and deliberate misrepresentation. In effect, no one left!”
He attached a press release that explains what accounts for the varying figures from the Education Management Information System (EMIS).
In an updated Facebook post on Friday 21 January 2022 emphasising the reason for the inaccurate figures, Kwasi Kwarteng further explained the number of teachers who resigned from the basic schools in 2021.
“In terms of teacher resignation, our official records show that 293 teachers left the profession in 2021 whilst 155 left the GES in 2020. For the avoidance of doubt I encourage Dr. Clement Apaak & Kofi Asare of Eduwatch to cross-check these figures with Controller & Accountant’s General Department,” Mr. Kwarteng stated.
The figure of 293 teacher resignations stated by the Ministry of Education spokesperson was corroborated by a Facebook post by Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, a veteran journalist and Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide Newspaper, who published data he reportedly sourced from the official file of Ghana Education Service.
Verification
Given the interest that this issue has generated and the potential effect on the quality of education at the basic level, DUBAWA decided to investigate the claim first made by Dr. Apaak. It is important to note that the original claim made no reference to a source. We therefore decided to contact Dr. Apaak to provide a source for his claim and to probe how this was going to affect the education sector if it was proven to be true. We sent him a text message on January 18, followed up with a number of calls requesting an interview on the matter. He was largely busy, partly because of the controversial e-levy which was before Parliament. In our last attempt at an interview request on January 26, Dr. Apaak declined, saying “I will issue a statement on this at the right time.” DUBAWA is yet to see any statement from the Member of Parliament at the time of publication.
We proceeded to the Ghana Education Service (GES) which is the implementing arm of government’s policies and programs at the pre-tertiary level. The Service has a mission to ensure “that all Ghanaian children of school-going age are provided with inclusive and equitable quality formal education and training through effective and efficient management of resources.”
DUBAWA spoke with the Director General of the Service, Prof Kwasi Opoku-Amankwaa, to find out the attrition rate of teachers, especially for the 2021 academic year. Prof Amankwaa denied the claim by Apaak and provided data from the Service’s payroll in 2021. The data was the same as the one posted by Abdul Malik Kweku Baako on Facebook.
“I guess this will help you. This is from our payroll database. The actual number of people who resigned is 293. And the total attrition [rate] is 8,209,” Prof Amankwaa stated.
He explained further that the 8,209 teachers who were deemed to have left, was an aggregate figure for teachers who were deceased, dismissed, vacated their posts, resigned, or even went on voluntary or compulsory retirement.
In DUBAWA’s conversation on the same matter with the sector Minister, Dr. Yaw Adutwum, said “it cannot be the case that 44,000 teachers left the profession in 2021. In a COVID 19 situation, what will they [44,000 teachers] be resigning to?”
Quoting the GES figure, Dr. Adutwum said only 293 teachers left the profession.
Validity of EMIS
The EMIS Data Center, launched in 1997 as part of the Free Compulsory Basic Education (FCUBE), is recognized by UNESCO and other international and regional bodies as a reference point for accurate data on education in Ghana.
In investigating the Apaak claim further, DUBAWA checked the (EMIS) data website at the Ministry of Education to analyse the enrolment of pupils in comparison with the number of teachers at least for the 2019-2020 and the 2020-2021 academic years. When DUBAWA checked the EMIS website it found data up to 2019-2020. The following is the data, detailing the number of pupils in basic education vis-a-vis the total number of teachers which is known as the Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR). However, that ratio is different from the PTTR which is the ratio of pupils to TRAINED teachers.
The data for 2020-2021 was not readily available on the EMIS website. An official at the EMIS Ghana office however provided DUBAWA with the provisional 2020-2021 data. Investigations showed that Eduwatch, an educational policy think tank had access to the same data. The provisional 2021 data detailing the PTR for 2020-2021 is as follows;
2020/2021 Public School Pupil to Teacher Ratio
Level
Enrolment
Teachers
PTR
Primary
3,269,233
106,500
30.7
JHS
1,417,086
94,027
15.1
KG
1, 192,828
38,653
31
Total
5,879,147
239,180
76.8
Provisional 2020-2021 EMIS Data on PTR
Explaining the 44,000 figure
When DUBAWA analysed the figures for 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, it observed that over 44,000 teachers could not be accounted for. In the 2020 data, the total number of teachers was 283,430 as against a student population of 5,876,785 pupils. But in the provisional 2021 figure which is the subject of controversy, the total number of teachers was 239,180 as against a pupil population of 5,879,147.
Therefore, 283,430-239,180=44,250 teachers were not accounted for in the 2021 EMIS data.
So where did these 44,250 teachers go?
Even though Dr. Apaak stated that 44,000 of these teachers left the profession, the reasons he adduced for the supposed attrition rate of basic school teachers may have been inaccurate.
Further checks by DUBAWA indicate that the disparity in the PTR for 2020 and 2021 EMIS data has more to do with the nomenclature used by the EMIS officials in gathering the data than 44,000 teachers deciding to quit their jobs.
According to an official, EMIS always drew a clear line of distinction between trained and untrained teachers to be able to arrive at figures for PTR and PTTR. They always put a premium on the PTTR which is the total number of trained teachers as against the enrollment (pupils). The PTR, the official explained, were non-professional teachers, mostly including retirees, mentees, national service personnel, community workers, NABCO, volunteers, some of whom are replaced every year.
However, in compiling the 2020 data in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the non-professional teachers were captured as part of the PTTR which shot the total number of trained teachers to 283,430.
Therefore in the 2021 compilation, the official noted that questionnaires and data collection materials were modified to correct the anomaly in 2020 and draw a line of distinction between the professional teachers and the non-professional ones as was done in previous years. This brought to 239,180, the total number of trained teachers in 2021.
The official further explained it is usually easier to replace the non-professional teachers, for instance, the mentees, national service personnel, etc – most of whom are employed on a part-time basis.
“It cannot be the case that 44,000 teachers vacate their posts in 2021,” the official clarified.
After a five-year analysis of the data, DUBAWA observed an astronomical increase in the number of teachers in 2020, the year COVID 19 hit in Ghana and the globe as a whole. This is awkward because in 2020 schools were shut down due to the pandemic and public school teachers were paid for little or no work done. It will be inappropriate for the government to employ over 39,000 more teachers to sit at home and pay them for no work.
By the same token, in 2021 when the economy has been constricted by COVID 19, with lots of job losses, it will be surprising for 44,250 basic school teachers to leave the teaching profession for non-existent jobs.
Conclusion
Without providing the proper context, it is misleading to suggest that 44,000 basic school teachers resigned from the profession in 2021 alone. While the EMIS data for 2021 show a reduction in the number of teachers by over 44,000, the reason for the reduction cannot be said to be as a result of teacher attrition due to poor conditions of service. If anything, the only verifiable data that summarize the attrition rate of teachers is the one provided by the GES which concludes that 293 basic school teachers resigned, while the total teacher attrition rate was 8,209 in 2021.
Claim: The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, says the income of the average poor person in Ghana is GHC 70
After analyzing data from the World Bank and the Ghana Statistical Service on the living standards in the country, DUBAWA has found the claim to be misleading.
The levy, which was introduced at 1.75 percent, will be on electronic transactions above GHC 100.00 and will be applied to mobile money payments, bank transfers, merchant payments, and inward remittances.
The government’s plan to introduce this tax has been met with opposition, with some asserting that the poor will be most affected if the levy is passed into law.
Speaking at the town hall meeting on Tuesday, the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, debunked the assertion and insisted that the poor will not be affected by the tax.
According to him, the annual income of the average poor person in the country is GHC 70, hence the need for exemption from the tax.
His comments, originally in Akan, when translated to English will read:
“What I know is that, with this e-levy, the poor will be exempted. There is no poor person who will pay the e-levy. This is the analysis I made: In Ghana, when we say someone is very poor, it is someone who, at the very most, makes GHC 70 every year.”
Accra-based Joy 99.7FM has posted a short clip that captures the claim of the Western Regional Minister on Twitter.
The 1:18 seconds video has attracted 31.5K views, 244 likes, 621 retweets, and 233 comments.
Several other users on Twitter have posted the video of Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah making the claim. Such can be seen here and here.
DUBAWA first approached the Minister to provide the source of data which suggested that a person can be described as poor if he or she were to receive GHC70 annually.
“I only picked price points at GHC 70 as representing very poor people…the argument I was making was that poor people would not pay the e-levy. The 2010 population census puts Ghana’s poverty line at GHC 1,314 and so anyone who earns below that per year is a poor person,” he stated, adding; “that is why I intentionally said very poor people, just to make the argument that such people would not pay. Even at GHC 1,314.00 per year, poor people will be making GHC 3.60 (1,314 ÷ 365) per day,” he further clarified.
Dubawa subjected both his initial claim and clarification to scrutiny beginning with the 2010 population census and found the GHC1,314 clarification to be true as detailed in the following table.
This would mean that poor people spend up to about $693.5 per year ($1.90 x 365 days).
If $693.5 is converted to local currency, using the current Bank of Ghana Dollar to cedi rate of 6.1, the average poor person could be spending up to about GHC 4,230.35 per year and not GHC70 as initially stated by the minister.
Also, in 2019, the Ghana Statistical Service published its latest Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS7). The report provides information for understanding and monitoring living conditions in Ghana.
According to the report, the average low-earning person in the country expends GHC 872 annually.
“…the highest quintile has an annual average per capita expenditure of GH¢8,987 per person which is twice the national average of GH¢4,574 and ten times that of the lowest quintile (GH¢872),” page 198 of the GLSS 7 Main Report reads.
In the area of income, the report indicated that, on average, the poorest earns GHC 1,320 annually and that is also higher than the GHC 70 figure the minister initially mentioned.
Additionally, the report indicated that the average low-earning households receive GHC 564 from other sources such as social security payments, state pensions, or other sources from the central government such as the LEAP.
Page 219 of the report highlights
From the above, it is clear that per international standards, it is misleading for the minister to initially use GHC70.00 as the threshold for his definition of who a poor person is. It gives a different signal as to who will or will not be captured under the e-levy and that potentially could explain the reason for the controversy this claim has generated.
But it is also true that per the data from the World Bank and the Ghana Statistical Service, poor people will be exempt from paying the e-levy as stated by the minister.
This is because if $1.90 a day, which is the World Bank’s threshold for the poor, is converted into the cedi equivalent. The poor in Ghana are expected to receive GHC11 per day and that amount is lower than the GHC100 taxable by the e-levy.
Also, if the GHC 875 which is the Ghana Living Standard annual figure for poor persons is to be divided into 365, each person will receive a daily amount of GHC2.3 which is also lower than the GHC100 taxable under the e-levy.
Conclusion
Even though the minister was generally right about the poor being exempt from paying the e-levy, his decision to use GHC70 to define who a poor person is misleading.
