Dr. Rashid Tanko Computer, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC), has condemned the NPP government’s free Wi-Fi initiative for secondary schools as a mere propaganda stunt. Speaking on 3FM’s Sunrise Morning Show on Friday, May 2, 2025, he raised doubts about the program’s existence, asserting that many schools promised free internet access currently lack such services.
“Just call any of these schools and ask if they have free Wi-Fi. None of them do,” Dr. Tanko stated, recounting his visits to various institutions, including Kpandai Secondary School (KPANTEC), where equipment was delivered for a supposed Wi-Fi launch. He noted that the setup malfunctioned within a week, rendering it ineffective.
He criticized the apparent waste of public funds, emphasizing that resources were spent on equipment that either went unused or deteriorated in storage. “Some equipment was bought two years ago and is now unusable. Tablets and laptops were packed away instead of being distributed, and many of them are now outdated or damaged,” he explained.
Dr. Tanko also pointed out the plight of abandoned Community Information Centres and Innovation Hubs established as far back as 2016. He lamented that these facilities, designed to serve the public, are now locked up, looted, or deteriorating.
Expressing disappointment over the lack of accountability, he stated that attempts to investigate such issues are often dismissed as political witch-hunts. “When people act in ways that harm the country, and you try to hold them responsible, they hide behind politics,” he lamented.
On rural telephony projects, Dr. Tanko claimed that only about half of the promised 2,016 sites have been completed and raised concerns about the use of outdated technology, such as 2G, while other countries are moving towards 5G and even 6G networks.
He concluded that Ghana’s digital development has greatly suffered due to mismanagement, waste, and poor planning under the NPP administration. “If digitization were truly a priority, the tools would be in use—not rotting away in warehouses,” he stated.
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