Haruna Iddrisu, Ghana’s Minister for Education, has voiced the government’s concerns over the inadequate quantity and substandard quality of food being provided to students in senior high schools (SHSs) across the country.
Speaking at a press briefing held at the Presidency during the Mid-year Review of Education Sector Policies and Government Programmes, the Minister revealed that the government is contemplating a review of the current decentralized food procurement system, with the possibility of involving the National Buffer Stock Company (NBS) to improve service delivery.
Haruna Iddrisu recounted receiving a troubling report from President John Dramani Mahama via WhatsApp, highlighting an incident where poor quality gari and palm nut soup were served at a senior high school.
“That is not acceptable,” the Minister emphasized, underscoring the government’s dissatisfaction with the current state of school feeding.
To address these concerns, the Ministry of Education has commissioned an internal audit to assess the food supply situation nationwide.
“I have asked the internal auditor of the Ministry of Education to move around the country and give me an audit report,” he said.
Since assuming office, Minister Iddrisu noted that the Ministry has directly disbursed funds to schools to manage their food procurement under the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) program.
Despite these significant allocations, the Minister admitted that the government remains unsatisfied with both the quantity and quality of food supplied.
“That is why we are reengaging and repositioning ourselves to share in the procurement process,” he explained.
The Minister revealed ongoing consultations aimed at potentially reversing the decentralized procurement system.
He revealed that discussions have involved key stakeholders, including the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), with meetings recently held in Sunyani to explore common interests, including food distribution.
“Our wish and desire is for CHASS to continue, but I also get a flark when the food is not supplied on time and with good quality and therefore we are saying that buffer stocks can do,” Iddrisu stated.
He suggested that the National Buffer Stock Company could take on the responsibility of supplying food to SHSs, emphasizing that the current buffer stock operations differ significantly from past inefficiencies.
According to the Minister, the government has requested the release of GHC 100 million to support the Buffer Stock Company’s operations.
Iddrisu asserted “The good thing is that this not the buffer stock of the past, this buffer stock am told in the next couple of days even if they haven’t gotten it already I know thst the high authority requested that some Ghc100m be released for their operations and activities.”
Also, the minister disclosed that the Free SHS Secretariat will authenticate procurement data and facilitate faster payments from its reserves to ensure timely and efficient food supply.
“This time, when they buy the free senior high school secretariat will authentic the data then get fund out of its reserve should be able to pay it,”
Source :www.kumasimail.com /Kwadwo Owusu
