Caterers should prepare meals with wholesome ingredients - Nii Okai

Accra, Sept. 18, GNA - Caterers engaged in the School Feeding Programme (SFP), have been advised to prepare their meals with wholesome ingredients and in hygienic surroundings to protect the health of the pupils. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Friday, Mr Daniel Nii Okai, Chairman of the Odododiodioo National Democratic Congress, noted that the slightest food contamination could affect the health of the large number of school children who participated in the programme. He asked the caterers to use locally produced foodstuffs for their meals as a way of encouraging farmers with ready market for their produce and promoting the patronage of made in Ghana goods and products.

Mr Okai asked them to see their selection to participate in the programme as a privilege to contribute to nation building, since there are other caterers who want to take part in the programme and warned that those who did not live up to expectation would be sanctioned. He appealed to Parent Teacher Associations and School Management Committees and other stakeholders to provide the schools with dinning halls and canteens where school children could take their meals in decent environment.

He described the programme as a government's intervention to help alleviate poverty to ensure the well being of school children who are the future leaders of the country. Mr Okai who is also a Member of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly called on the caterers to study the manual on the programme to avoid conflict. He explained that the SFP, the programme to supply school children with uniforms and the Capitation Grant were social interventions to assist parents and guardians to take proper care of their children. The Odododiodioo NDC Chairman stressed the link between a sound mind in a healthy body to promote effective teaching and learning and stated that a hot nutritious and balanced diet at least once a day would help in the development of children. He advised parents to desist from using the SFP to deny their children nutritious and balanced diet at home since the programme was not meant to take over their responsibility to feed their children. It is only meant to assist and encourage children to be enrolled, stay in school and to take their studies seriously to progress to the highest level within their capabilities, Mr Okai explained. 18 Sept. 09