Adwoa Safo Alleges Presidential U-Turn on School Feeding Programme Audit Amid Corruption Findings

Former Gender Minister Exposes Political Pressure and Resistance to Anti-Corruption Efforts

Accra, Ghana – March 2025

Former Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has made explosive allegations about her tenure, claiming that former President Nana Akufo-Addo initially instructed her to conduct an audit of the School Feeding Programme, only to later distance himself when the findings exposed widespread corruption.

Speaking in an interview on Movement Radio, the former minister detailed how Akufo-Addo personally tasked her with reviewing the financial management of the programme immediately after she assumed office. She claims the directive came even before she had received budgetary allocations for her ministry, suggesting the urgency of the matter.

“Upon my appointment as Minister, former President Akufo-Addo specifically asked me to audit the School Feeding Programme because he wanted to understand how the allocated funds were being utilized. This instruction came even before I had received funds to operate my ministry,” she revealed.

The School Feeding Programme, a key government initiative aimed at providing daily meals to schoolchildren across Ghana, has long been plagued by allegations of mismanagement, inflated contracts, and political favouritism. Adwoa Safo’s audit was expected to bring much-needed transparency to the system. However, her claims suggest that those benefiting from the existing loopholes resisted attempts at scrutiny, making the process increasingly difficult.

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Resistance and Attempts to Undermine the Audit

According to Adwoa Safo, her efforts to investigate the programme were met with staunch resistance from key figures involved in its administration. She disclosed that one of the leading individuals in charge of the initiative repeatedly refused to honour her invitations for discussions, despite multiple attempts to engage her.

“I reached out to one of the women at the center of the programme on several occasions, but she refused to attend any meetings. Instead, I later received a message questioning why I was trying to ‘destroy’ her connection within the government,” she recounted.

This statement suggests that political affiliations and personal loyalties played a significant role in shielding individuals from accountability. Instead of cooperating with the Ministry’s review, powerful figures sought to undermine the process, possibly fearing exposure.

Despite this opposition, Madam Safo pressed on with the audit, determined to uncover the truth about the financial irregularities surrounding the programme.

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Findings of the Audit and Cabinet Presentation

After months of investigation, Adwoa Safo compiled her findings into a detailed report, which was submitted to the Cabinet for review. The results, she claims, painted a damning picture of how funds were misappropriated within the School Feeding Programme.

Among the key revelations were:

• Massive financial mismanagement, with funds not reaching the intended beneficiaries.
• Ghost schools and students, where money was allocated for non-existent feeding programmes.
• Over-inflated contracts awarded to politically connected individuals.
• The Central Region was identified as a major hub for corruption, with a significant portion of the funds being misused.

Her report detailed systemic issues that, if left unchecked, could continue to drain public resources at the expense of vulnerable schoolchildren who rely on the feeding programme.

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Presidential U-Turn and Political Fallout

Despite the gravity of her findings, Adwoa Safo claims that President Akufo-Addo later backtracked on his initial support for the audit. She alleges that after the report sparked public outrage, the President sought to distance himself from the entire process, going as far as instructing her to abandon it altogether.

“After the backlash, President Akufo-Addo denied asking me to conduct the audit. He told me to shelve the report. That was where my problems started,” she lamented.

This revelation raises serious concerns about political interference in anti-corruption efforts, suggesting that rather than addressing the wrongdoing, the government opted to protect its image and political interests.

Following this controversy, Adwoa Safo’s political career took a downward turn. She faced increasing isolation within her party, and in a dramatic turn of events, she lost her bid to retain her Dome-Kwabenya parliamentary seat.

For the first time in history, the traditionally New Patriotic Party (NPP) stronghold fell to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Elikplim Akurugu, in a fiercely contested election. Political analysts believe that her fallout with the party leadership and the perceived lack of support from the presidency played a significant role in her defeat.

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Broader Implications and Unanswered Questions

Adwoa Safo’s allegations, if true, reveal deep-seated challenges in Ghana’s governance system, where political considerations may take precedence over accountability and transparency. Her experience highlights the difficulties faced by public officials who attempt to investigate corruption within government programmes.

Her revelations also raise critical questions about the fate of the audit report and the broader fight against corruption:

1. What became of the audit findings? Were any corrective measures taken to address the exposed financial irregularities?
2. Did the Presidency knowingly protect individuals implicated in the scandal? If so, what does this mean for future efforts to combat corruption?
3. Will the School Feeding Programme undergo further reforms? Or will it continue to suffer from mismanagement at the expense of Ghanaian children?

With the country already grappling with economic challenges and governance concerns, these allegations add fuel to the ongoing national discourse about the credibility of anti-corruption initiatives under the previous administration.

Meanwhile, neither former President Akufo-Addo nor other senior government officials have issued an official response to Adwoa Safo’s claims. The Ghanaian public, however, remains eager to see whether any further investigations will be launched into the matter or if this will be yet another case of unaddressed political controversy.

For now, Adwoa Safo’s disclosures remain a stark reminder of the political and institutional barriers that continue to hinder Ghana’s fight against corruption.

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Conclusion

Adwoa Safo’s revelations offer a rare inside look into the political dynamics surrounding government programmes and corruption in Ghana. While the School Feeding Programme remains a vital initiative for underprivileged children, questions about its management and financial integrity persist.

With her political career now at a crossroads, it remains to be seen whether her allegations will spark real reform or be dismissed as another political controversy. Regardless, her account adds to the growing debate on the need for stronger institutional frameworks to combat corruption without political interference.

For now, Ghanaians are left wondering:
Will justice be served, or will this case be swept under the rug like many before it?

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