Information reaching DAILY GUIDE from various districts in the Upper East region indicates that caterers under the School Feeding have been asked to stop working pending further notice.
According to a radio message sent from the national office of the programme, caterers have been ordered to stop cooking until October 3, 2011 even though schools have been in session since Tuesday.
The message was said to have been sent through Motorola, DAILY GUIDE learnt.
This order, which is already being followed, implies that the many rural children who depended largely on the food provided at school would have to go back to surviving on soaked raw millet or guinea corn.
Many caterers do not know why they have been ordered to stop cooking until October 3, 2011; however those who are members of the ruling National Democratic Congress or have links in the party told DAILY GUIDE that they had been asked to reapply because their contracts had expired.
Some also said that they had been told that government wanted to cut some schools off the programme in compliance with orders from donors.
The School Feeding Programme owes almost all the caterers in the Upper East region, including the National Democratic Congress members, salaries for 48 working days.
Last term, the caterers were paid for 13 working days, plus arrears for seven days.
Even without the directive to stop working, most of the caterers wouldn't have been able to cook for their respective schools because they still owed the food stuff traders.
Some committed caterers told DAILY GUIDE they had taken loans and bought their food stuff ahead of the reopening of school, and did not know what to do with the food items because they did not intend to eat them with their families.
About 64 basic schools in the Upper East region are benefiting from the School Feeding Programme.
The Upper East Regional Coordinator of the School Feeding Programme, Donatus Akamugre, could however not be reached on his phone after several efforts to reach him for his comments.
Also, a text message sent to him asking for his response had not been replied as at press time.
From Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Bolgatanga
'Kill whoever will rig Ejisu by-election' – Independent Candidate supporters inv...
Ashanti Region: ‘Apologize to me for claiming I owe electricity bills else... – ...
Ghana is a mess; citizens will stand for their party even if they’re dying — Kof...
Internet shutdown an abuse of human rights — CSOs to gov't
Free SHS policy: Eating Tom Brown in the morning, afternoon, evening will be a t...
Dumsor: A British energy expert 'lied' Ghanaians, causing us to abandon energy p...
What a speech! — Imani Africa boss reacts to Prof. Opoku Agyemang’s presentation
Dumsor: Tell us the truth — Atik Mohammed to ECG
Dumsor: Don't rush to demand timetable; the problem may be temporary — Atik Moha...
Space X Starlink’s satellite broadband approved in Ghana — NCA
