EDUCATION

School Feeding Scam: Caterers weep over fake appointment letters
Caterers for school children in the Kwahu Afram Plains North District in the Eastern Region under the National School Feeding Program are weeping after discovering their appointment letters awarded them were fake and scam.

Date Created : 4/16/2019 4:03:31 AM : Story Author : William Dei-Gyau/Ghanadistricts.com

About twenty schools in the area, which were added by the New Patriotic Party government and are currently benefiting from the said program seems to be scam as they are not in the books of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection as stated by the sector Minister Cynthia Morrison in a meeting with the Eastern Regional Executives, the Constituency Executives of the New Patriotic Party in the Kwahu Bloc as well as caterers under the school feeding program in the Kwahu area.

The meeting was to offer the minister opportunity to get first-hand information on the implementation of the program and also to familiarize herself with the caterers.

The beneficiary Schools include, Atakora D/A Primary, St.Michael R/C Primary, Nana Baadu Primary, Brubeng D/A Primary, Kayira Primary, Amankwakrom Primary, Amnkwa Tornu Primary, Abomasarefo Primary, Bridge Ano Primary, Abotanso Primary Roman Catholic Primary, Ntonaboma R/C Primary, Mem-Chemfre Primary, Dodi Primary, Anidzi Primary, Kamalo Primary, Catapila Tornu Primary among others.

According to the minister who did not hesitate to lambast the Constituency Executives of the ruling government in the Afram Plains North for claiming ownership of contract awarded their Member of Parliament Betty Krosby Mensah to cook for the pupils of Kwaekese R/C by the ministry, stated that "per the records I came to meet, the ministry has since 2017 not awarded any school feeding contract to any caterer in your area, even if it is then there is no records in the Ministry to that effect apart from the eleven contract awarded by the NDC government, and that of the Member of Parliament for the area.

She then entreat the caterers to seek their payment from whoever awarded them the contract being the District Chief Executive or the Regional Coordinator for the School Feeding Program as the ministry is not it the position to pay for their service rendered.

Speaking to Ghanadistricts.com some caterers who claimed to have paid GHs1000.00 before receiving their appointment letter was surprised to hear from the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection that their appointment letters signed by the former Minister Otiko Afisa Djaba can't be traced in the files at the Ministry.

"It was and still a shock to me, I still don't believe my ears, did Cynthia Morrison say she did not come to meet our files at the Ministry" a caterer surprisingly asked.

"We were expecting our payment since the end of the first term but the Constituency and Regional Women Organizers always assured us of payment as they are putting things in order to effect our payment, uptill date we have not received a pesewa, I was happy when I received the invitation letter to this meeting thinking we are going to be paid but here we are frustrated" another caterer stated.

The caterers has since threatened to withdraw their services as they are unable to settle their debt with banks and shops they have acquired loans and bought some food stuffs on credit.

Checks from some beneficiary schools revealed that caterers throughout last week did not provide a single meal for the pupils and have not sent any message to the headteachers as at the day of vacation. It is unclear whether they (caterers) will return to cook for this children in the next academic term.

Some headteachers complained bitterly about the caterers and the food they cook for the school children in the area,

"They are supposed to provide food for the children from Monday to Friday every week but in our case caterers sometimes prepare food only ones in the week, they never cook for the whole five days within the week the most they do is three day meanwhile they raise five days certificate to the government for payment" a Headteacher sadly revealed.

A big wing within the party in the area confirm selling the school feeding program at the cost of one thousand Ghana cedis to the caterers who after going through the interview, are ready to pay the said charge.

The source again revealed that the Constituency Executives paid GHS 8000.00 to Madam Fati Vondolie the Regional school Feeding Coordinator who is also the Regional Woman Organizer of NPP in the Eastern Region.