Members of the Progressive School Feeding Caterer’s Association have strongly rejected portions of the auditor general’s report that claim caterers are providing unwholesome food for pupils in Ghana.
The association has labelled such generalisations in the report as unfair, strange, and inaccurate.
The auditor general’s 2022 report revealed that many school feeding caterers in five regions served unwholesome meals to thousands of pupils.
The document captured children specifically in the Greater Accra and Upper East Regions, were served rice with pebbles and beans infested with weevils and worms.
At a press conference in Kumasi on Friday (19 July) the caterers acknowledged that the quantity of food prepared is insufficient, attributing this to the rising food prices. They also emphasised that the quality of the food is not compromised, as they consume the same meals along with the teachers.
“We do appreciate the wonderful work done by the auditor general, but we find it strange that the report generalised all caterers as cooking unwholesome food for the children,” a secretary for the association Dorothy Ofori-Sarpong stated.
The caterers are calling on the government to address their concerns by paying overdue arrears and increasing the school feeding grant. They highlighted that the School Feeding Secretariat owes some caterers payments dating back to 2017, and they urge the auditor general to re-examine this issue.
They also noted that the government does not supply any food items for their use, countering public accusations that they steal food supplies meant for the children.
“Each school is assigned coordinators who conduct unannounced inspections and taste tests to ensure food quality. Despite the funding challenges, we maintain that they, as mothers, would never use unwholesome food for the children”.
“We therefore appealing to the NGO’S and Philanthropies across the world to come to the aid
of the government to improve the School Feeding Programme”, Ofori-Sarpong added..
Reporting By Jonathan Ofori, Asaase Newsroom, Kumasi
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