CJA Renews Call For Probe Into Sch Feeding

THE Committee for Joint Action (CJA), has reiterated its demand for the dismissal of the Executive Chairman of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (SFP), Dr Kwame Amoako Tuffuor.

It has also called for the setting up of a public enquiry to investigate the operations of the programme and the prosecution of all people found to have committed fraud or criminal offences in the programme.

At a press conference yesterday, Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr., a member of the CJA, said the group considered as frivolous the explanation given by Dr Amoako-Tuffuor at a press briefing in Accra last Monday, following the adverse findings of PriceWaterHouseCoopers (PWC) against the programme.

On April 2, this year, the CJA made public some findings of the audit report of the PWC, an audit which was at the instance of the Netherlands government, partners of the School Feeding Programme.

Mr Pratt said 'it is mind boggling that he should accuse everyone else on the programme of wrong- doing except himself. We find it outrageous that a person who is supposed to be responsible for the programme is claiming that he is not to be blamed for the stealing and mal-administration that has engulfed his outfit.'

Some of the findings in the PWC audit report included feeding the school children with unwholesome food, similar VAT invoice numbers issued by two different companies, unapproved schools included in the programme, inflated school enrolment figures and failure to follow approved procedures for the award of contracts and procurements.

Eventhough the report was not supposed to be made available to a third party, the CJA maintained that it did not exonerate the executive chairman from any wrongdoing.

Those present at the press briefing included Ms Ama Benyiwah-Doe and Mr Ato Ahwoi, members of the CJA.