Cynthia Morrison (middle)
The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection , Cynthia Morrison , has responded to claims circulating on social media that parliamentary candidates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are taking advantage of the one hot meal daily to place their posters on the food being served to the BECE candidate for campaign purposes.
Videos and pictures of parliamentary candidates of the NPP went viral on social media where food meant for BECE candidates were being branded with their posters.
According to her, the said pictures of the parliamentary candidates have been contacted and they have denied acknowledge of such act.
“ I have spoken to all the PCs and none of them is aware of this , as for picture you and I know technology, somebody can just sit here and print anything and we didn’t see any students receiving the food only the packages on the table but I wish the video or pictures showed the school so we go there to find out.”
She however indicated that the ministry has sent its officials to go to the districts where they claim the said issues happened to investigate.
The minister warned that contracts of caterers who do not follow the protocols will be terminated.
“ There are forms for the schools and students to fill concerning the quality , quantity and all the negatives so we have all the daily records to tell us how things are going so any caterer who does not adhere to the protocols given, their contract will be taking away from them.”
The Minister of Gender made this known when she toured some selected schools in the region with the Northern Regional Coordinator for the School Feeding Programme, Felicia Tetteh, to inspect the one hot meal served to the BECE in the region.
About 640 public and private junior high schools and a total number of 30,114 are expected to enjoy from the one hot meal daily by government in the Northern region.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced during his 15th nationwide address that government will provide all final year Junior High School students one hot meal daily.
Mrs. Morrison after the inspection indicated that she was satisfied with the kind of food prepared for the students.
The Northern Regional Coordinator for the School Feeding Programme , Mrs. Felicia Tetteh, appealed to Ghanaians to treat the one hot meal daily for the BECE candidates as a national initiative.
“ people try to bring in political colors but this Programme is an issue we all need to support , our brothers and sisters will be provided with one hot meal a day and so everybody should support the initiative for it to work successfully.”
According to her, when the food is being served they do not check to find out which of the students is an NDC or NPP but rather Ghanaians.
“ what President Akufo-Addo has done for the BECE candidates is laudable and should be supported massively for the success of the initiative.”
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale