Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, has disclosed that the government has declined to provide information in response to a Right to Information (RTI) request he submitted regarding the procurement of sanitary pads for schoolgirls.

The MP noted that about three months ago, he requested details on the companies awarded the contracts and the procurement processes followed.

“I have submitted an RTI for the past about two to three months requesting for those who won that contract, requesting for the enlistment of companies who won the contract and the procurement processes that were followed. Up to today, I can tell you authoritatively that not a single document has been given to me,” Vincent said.

Sanitary pad allegations are fabricated to smear President Mahama – Dr Apaak

Speaking on behalf of the Minority Caucus in Parliament, Assafuah demanded clarification from the government regarding alleged irregularities in the procurement process.

The caucus expressed concerns that the process lacked transparency and may not have delivered value for money.

The Minority pointed out discrepancies in figures and contracts surrounding the initiative, warning that these could undermine public trust and accountability.

They called on the government to provide a detailed explanation to Parliament and the public, stressing that such essential interventions must be managed with integrity to ensure resources reach the vulnerable groups they are intended to support.

“The implied cost per pack would be approximately 44 Ghana cedis, raising concerns about value for money, especially considering the average market price of a sanitary pad pack is around 15 Ghana cedis,” Assafuah said during a press conference at Parliament on December 3, 2025.

He added that government figures allegedly showed that 12.2 million pads were procured at a cost of GH¢292 million, translating to GH¢24 per pad.

Meanwhile, a local manufacturer had submitted a tender at GHS 20 per pad, indicating potential overpricing by the government. “We demand transparency on procurement, contracts, and costs,” Assafuah emphasised.

The Minority also sought answers to several questions, including who submitted tenders, which companies were awarded contracts, what criteria were used to select vendors, and what safeguards ensured fairness and competitive pricing.

They said the government’s public responses had been inconsistent, raising concerns over overpayment, non-reconciliation of beneficiary numbers, and requests for new allocations despite undistributed pads.

Dr Clement Apaak, Deputy Minister of Education, denied allegations of corruption or scandal, describing claims that pads were sold at GH¢45 as “chop bar arithmetic.”

Dr Apaak explained that the cost of transportation and distribution was factored into the procurement process, accounting for variations in price.

He added that the government had distributed 3.9 million packs of sanitary pads to students in 20,744 public basic schools and 2.6 million packs to girls in secondary and T-VET institutions, benefiting 2.5 million female students from Primary Five to Senior High School.

The Deputy Minister dismissed the Minority’s allegations as a “desperate attempt” to create a scandal and discredit the government, noting that the NDC under President John Dramani Mahama and the Ministry of Education had never procured pads at GH¢45 and would not do so.

The Free Sanitary Pad Policy, launched in April 2025, aims to provide free sanitary pads to schoolgirls nationwide, improve menstrual hygiene, reduce absenteeism, and promote gender equality.

Watch the video below:

Sanitary pads for school girls: Govt has declined an RTI request I sent concerning the procurement - Vincent Ekow Assafuah.#JoyNews pic.twitter.com/0JbMjTHBSf

— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) December 3, 2025