The main opposition party, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) today issued a call for the Head of the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), Professor Jacob Opadeyi to resign.
The PNCR said its call comes in wake of recent revelations from at least two foreign Universities that they have no ties to the GOAL programme, although the programme had been enrolling students and offering scholarships for the two universities.
Since the controversy erupted, the Academy announced that it was no longer utilizing the services of the facilitating company that was responsible for streamlining the deal with the foreign universities.
At a press conference today, Opposition Member of Parliament with responsibility for the Education sector, Corettta Mc Donald, noted that with hundreds of scholarship students now displaced, critical questions about the transparency and accountability of the GOAL project must be answered.
“We demand full transparency and accountability and call for the immediate resignation of Professor Jacob Opadeyi and Minister Priya Manickchand for their roles in misleading students and mismanaging public funds. We also want a full parliamentary inquiry and forensic audit of GOAL’s financial records, with all agreements, particularly those with ISDC, UNICAF, and other third-party affiliates, being made public,” Mc Donald told the media today.
The Opposition Member of Parliament said there must also be an immediate intervention to provide affected students with legitimate alternatives, allowing them to complete their studies at the University of Guyana or other accredited local institutions instead of being forced into other Universities where their certification might be questionable.
“This situation is not just about mismanagement; it is about the future of our young people who were promised access to higher education. We will not allow GOAL to become a vehicle for financial misappropriation or failed leadership. The Government of Guyana must act decisively to restore public confidence in this program and ensure that those responsible for this debacle are held accountable,” Ms.Mc Donald noted.
McDonald said many of the GOAL scholarships could have been offered through the University of Guyana.
The GOAL programme has benefited from more than $5 Billion in funding from the Government of Guyana.
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