Some kids enjoying their meal
THE NATIONAL Secretariat of the Ghana School Feeding Programme has refuted claims by some uninformed caterers who are accusing the programme handlers of paying an amount of GH¢12.9 million to some 510 ghost schools in the 2019/2020 academic year.
The caterers, who claim to be members of the Ghana National School Feeding Caterers Association, alleged that their independent investigations have led to the uncovering of the alleged ghost schools in all the 16 regions of Ghana.
But, according to the Public Relations Officer of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, Siiba Alfa, the allegations of ghost schools and the payment of money to ghost caterers were utterly false, misguided and misleading.
He said it was a calculated attempt by a certain Caroline Aboagye, a caterer in the Central Region, and others, to destroy the hard earned reputation of the management of the GSFP.
He said Ms. Aboagye, who claims to be the PRO of the Ghana National School Feeding Caterers Association, at a press conference in Accra, allegedly attacked the personality of the National Coordinator of GSFP, Gertrude Quashigah.
Describing management of GSFP as corrupt, Ms. Aboagye allegedly commissioned some rented followers to chant and wield placards some of which read: “Stop the Widows Appointment”, “School feeding not for Voltarians”, “Thank you Mr. President for 1st term payment”, “Quashigah and all her directors at national and regional level must go”.
But Mr. Alfa expressed disappointment about the alleged indecent name calling and tribal bigotry by Ms. Aboagye and her group against Mrs. Gertrude Quashigah, whom he said remained a motherly figure to all staff and caterers under the programme.
Reacting to the call on President Akufo-Addo by Ms. Aboagye to remove the GSFP National Coordinator together with other national and regional staff of the programme over allegations of corruption, Mr. Alfa insisted that the allegations from Ms. Aboagye clearly attested to how ill-informed she was about the operations of the school feeding programme.
According to him, the GSFP, like any other agency of the Government, underwent regular audits from appropriate state institutions and that the Secretariat had never been implicated since the assumption of office of Mrs. Quashigah.
“We have a very transparent payment process that conforms to standard public financial procedures. Thus, the feeding aspect of the programme has a separate account, which is lodged at the Bank of Ghana in the name of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP). The National Secretariat of GSFP only facilitates payment by coordinating the process which involves the Ministry of Finance, Controller and Accountant General’s Department, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and finally, the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) which electronically transfers the feeding grants to caterers on their e-Zwich cards.”
Mr. Alfa added that the National Secretariat of GSFP did not see, touch or disburse feeding grants; and it was therefore extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the GSFP leadership to divert funds meant for feeding to be used for private gains.
He therefore challenged Ms. Aboagye to come out with evidence of the alleged payment of GH¢12.9 million, provide the account details of those caterers and tell how much they received individually.
The PRO said for the first time in the history of the school feeding programme, the management has been able to make savings of over GH¢27 million from non-cooking days in the first term of this 2021 academic year adding that the money has duly been declared to the appropriate authorities.