NDC Eastern Regional Women Organizer Jabs Prez Akufo-Addo For Failing To Address Concerns Of the School Feeding Caterers
"I would like to express my utmost disappointment in President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Gender, Children and Social protection Minister and the NPP government over their insensitive posture towards ordinary Ghanaian, largely school kids on the Ghana School Feeding Programme.
Freeman Koryekpor 
The Eastern Regional Women Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC),
Obaatanpa Shirley Naana Osei-Ampem, has described the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) government as heartless and insensitive for failing to address the concerns of the hundreds of caterers under the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP).
"I would like to express my utmost disappointment in President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Gender, Children and Social protection Minister and the NPP government over their insensitive posture towards ordinary Ghanaian, largely school kids on the Ghana School Feeding Programme.
"A supposed 0.20 pesewas upward review of school feeding grant to caterers and school children sum up their belligerent insensitivity towards the good people of this country in spite of the hardships the NPP government under Akufo-Addo brought unto us by their mismanagement of the economy," the NDC top lady stated.
She pointed out that instead of feeling sorry for the school kids who are going hungry and being provided with malnourished meals by significantly increasing their feeding grant, the NPP government thoughtlessly intend to increase it by a paltry 0.20 pessewa with inflation well over 40% as at April, an amount that cannot even afford a sachet of water.
She stressed that "We’ve had enough of your insensitivity, the well-being of our school children really matter."
To this end, Madam Osei-Ampem called on the government to settle the outstanding arrears of the caterers and increase the amount per child.
It would be recalled that Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Lariba Zuweira Abudu, proposed an increase of GH¢1.20, but the caterers, who have withdrawn their services since the reopening of schools, say the government’s offer is inadequate and unacceptable.
The aggrieved caterers are demanding payment of GH¢3.50 per child before they end their strike.
The spokesperson for the caterers in the Ashanti Region, Dorothy Ofori Sarpong, criticized the government for not acting on their demands.
“Nobody in the national head office or the presidency will say that they have not heard what is going on. They are our husbands, we are their wives, sisters and daughters, and they know us. Nobody has even taken the pain to ask why we have been ranting all this while.
“They rather insult us that we are disgracing them, but what we are going through, they don’t care, that is why I’m saying they [government] are heartless, people are dying, and they don’t care. We have gone everywhere, they all have information about our case,” Madam Dorothy Ofori Sarpong said.
Asked if their public outburst will not affect the fortunes of the party in the 2024 general elections, the caterers in the Ashanti Region stated, “Unless they provide whatever we are asking, then we can gather momentum and campaign for them for being a listening government.
They should listen to our cries and provide us with what we want. If they refuse, we will all go to sleep. Until they pay us our money, we will not do that again for them to get power and lord over us.”
