Upper East complains about pace of School Feeding Programme

A stakeholder meeting of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) in Bolgatanga, has expressed concern about the inadequate number of teachers and school infrastructure in the Upper East Region.

The meeting attended by local actors said the problem had arisen as a result of the increased school enrolment the programme had brought about.

The session was aimed at building the capacities of the participants including headmasters, caterers, district co-ordinating directors and district finance officers geared towards improving the GSFP.

The stakeholders said the increase in school enrolment was not tallying with the number of teachers and infrastructure available and this was seriously affecting academic standards of the beneficiary schools.

They called on the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to increase the 40 pesewas paid per school pupil to caterers, stressing that the amount was woefully inadequate to prepare nutritious meals for the beneficiaries.

The stakeholders, who expressed dissatisfaction about the delay in the process of payments of caterers by the Bank of Ghana, said this was affecting the smooth operation of the programme.

Mr Akwasi Owusu Afrifa Mensa, Internal Auditor of the GSFP indicated that most of the managers of the programme did not keep proper accounting records which he described as very bad and should be stopped.

He indicated that auditing had revealed that instead of paying caterers on individual basis, some district assemblies paid the money to one caterer who intend shared the cash to others and said the practice must be stopped.

Ms Edna Apea Gandah Programme Officer of the GSFP noted that the programme which was slated for five years had been extended to 2011 and was likely to be expanded.

Mr Donatus Akamugre, Regional Co-ordinator of the GSFP called on the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to speed up the expansion of the programme and to give special attention to the area since it was one of the poverty endemic regions.

Source: GNA