Some aggrieved caterers working under the Ghana School Feeding Programme have threatened to stop cooking for students if the government fails to increase the feeding grant to three cedis per head.

The caterers say the GHS1.00 allocated to children under the programme is woefully inadequate and unfair.

The women, who are part of a group calling itself ‘Touch one Touch all’ Caterers Association, say they’re disappointed in the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Adwoa Safo, for failing to address their concerns.

One of the aggrieved caterers who spoke to Citi News on condition of anonymity said they have vowed not to cook until they hear from the government.

“We do not even know where Adwoa Safo is. She does not do anything about school feeding. You call for meetings and she will not come. We worked since January, and we were paid just on the 25th of this month. We want the school feeding grant increased to 3 cedis. If not, we are not going anywhere to cook.”

Just recently, the Association denied media reports that it had petitioned President Akufo-Addo to remove the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Sara Adwoa Safo on the basis of incompetence and arrogance.

According to the association, no such indication has been given or action taken against the minister.

The association made this known in a statement following news reports that a formal complaint has been made to President Akufo-Addo by the caterers to have the minister removed.

The media reports indicated that the caterers cited the minister’s refusal to sign their order for payment and unavailability to meet with them as actions warranting her removal.

But a statement signed by the President of the Ghana National Feeding Caterers Association, Asana Salifu, said “no such statement has been made by any member at the behest of the Ghana School Feeding Caterers Association and hence, we distance ourselves unreservedly from the story in circulation.”

Ghana School Feeding Programme

The Ghana School Feeding Programme is an initiative of the comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme Pillar 3, which seeks to enhance food security and reduce hunger in line with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (MDGs) on hunger, poverty and malnutrition.

The government currently provides GHS1 per day for a plate of food for a child.

The amount is considered inadequate to provide an adequate and healthy diet for child development.