Haruna Iddrisu has attracted attention on social media following his reaction during the presentation of the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy by Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.
The Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for Tamale South was captured with a straight face as the Finance Minister announced a GH¢295 million allocation for the government’s Free Sanitary Pad Initiative.
The moment occurred on Thursday, November 12, 2026, during the presentation of the 2027 Budget in Parliament.
While Dr Ato Forson announced the allocation, Iddrisu appeared expressionless, with his reaction subsequently attracting attention online.
The GH¢295 million allocation forms part of the Ministry of Education’s GH¢48 billion budgetary vote and is intended to support the distribution of free sanitary pads to schoolgirls across the country.
The initiative seeks to address menstrual-related barriers to education and improve school attendance among girls, particularly those who struggle to afford sanitary products.
The Free Sanitary Pad Initiative was launched in Accra in April 2025, following President John Dramani Mahama’s pledge in his State of the Nation Address to eliminate menstrual barriers to education.
In October 2025, the Ghana Education Service (GES) announced plans to distribute 6,607,095 sanitary pads to schoolgirls across all 16 regions as part of efforts to ensure that no girl misses school because of her menstrual period.
The programme is intended to cover girls from the basic to the second-cycle level, with sanitary pads distributed monthly throughout their schooling.
However, the 2027 Budget Statement does not specify the number of girls expected to benefit from the GH¢295 million allocation, the quantity of sanitary pads to be supplied, the distribution timetable or the cost per pad.
The allocation comes as the government projects total expenditure of GH¢389 billion for the 2027 financial year.
The development comes at a time when, some weeks ago, Hassan Ayariga, the founder and Leader of the All People’s Congress (APC), criticised the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, over his handling of government funds.
According to Hassan Ayariga, Ato Forson is holding on to funds approved by Parliament, leaving several ministries struggling to carry out their activities.
He described Ato Forson as sitting on so much money and acting like a demigod while ministries are struggling.
Speaking in an interview on Metro TV, Hassan Ayariga fumed, saying, “We have a Finance Minister today who is sitting on so much money, and all the ministries are struggling. With the intention that we don’t want to give money to the ministries because we have to do what is called commitment authorisation before you are given money to do a project.
“Some ministers have projects in front of them that have gone through Parliament, received ratification and had their budgets approved by Parliament. The Minister for Finance sits in his office and becomes a demigod and is not releasing resources to any of them,” he said.
He further alleged that despite the delays in releasing funds to the various ministries, the Finance Minister has been holding meetings in other regions every week.
Hassan Ayariga questioned the need for the minister to travel regularly for press conferences and meetings while funds needed by the ministries remained unavailable.
He alleged, “I saw him say something like that, which actually made me so upset, that he doesn’t want to release money for them to go and be having conferences and travel anyhow and do what? What do you mean? Every week, you go to Volta Serene Hotel.
“Drive from Accra every week. The hotel is owned by Sky, something like that. You are driving every day, every week, to go and have press conferences and to go and have meetings. That is not an expenditure,” he added.
Watch the video below:
"You say what"?😳. Watch how Haruna Iddrisu reacted when Ato Forson mentioned the amount allocated to free sanitary pad when he got nothing for his ministry 😂😂😂😂 goated reaction. Herh #Budget2027 https://t.co/E7RcXDMtrG
— CHARLOTTE NICOLE 🕊 (@charllycolegh) November 12, 2026
