Despite the numerous promises by the Vice President and Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamadu Bawumia to Ghanaians, he cannot even order the payment of school feeding caterers in the Ashanti Region, the supposed World Bank of the party.
The caterers in Ashanti Region on June 22, 2024, organised a press conference and issued a notice, threatening to embark on a demonstration following the government’s refusal to pay them their outstanding arrears due for three academic terms.
The caterers who have expressed disappointment and frustration lament that they have not received any payment from September 2023 to June 2024, after several unfulfilled promises from the government.
The situation they indicated is affecting their operations as they are unable to pay their creditors, some of whom are threatening to get them arrested.
Based on this, the Chief Executive Officer of Marrer Ghana Limited, Susatgad Boat Building and Fishing Industry, Mr Novihoho Afaglo has stated that Dr Bawumia has nothing better to offer Ghanaians and therefore must not be taken seriously.
“If close to 11 months you have not paid caterers in one of your touted legacies of having transformed the educational sector than any other government, If this is not a scam tell me what it is,” Mr. Afaglo stated.
He said that currently there are many government institutions and organizations that the NPP government owes right from the National Health Insurance Scheme, NaBCO workers, school feeding caterers, and a host of others. “This clearly shows that the NPP is not ready to alleviate the plight of the citizens”.
Mr. Afaglo said the situation in the Ashanti Region is not peculiar to the region alone but, cut across the whole country where the school feeding caterers are reported to be assaulted by their creditors in many areas.
“Even if Ashanti Region, their supposed stronghold complaining of 11 months of nonpayment, imagine caterers in Western, Volta, Oti, and Western North areas consider to be for the opposition party.”
Research conducted by the education think tank, Africa Education Watch, noted that a 200% increase in the cost of the school feeding program is required for the provision of quality food to beneficiaries.
It is estimated that an amount of GH¢3 billion is needed to sustain the programme.
