Ghanaians doubt, shocked by GH¢54.3m price tag for coronavirus free food

Some social media users in Ghana have expressed doubts after revelations that a government initiative to distribute hot meals to the underprivileged during a three-week COVID-19 lockdown cost the state over GH¢54 million.

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta said on Thursday, July 23, 2020, while he was presenting the 2020 Mid-year Budget Review to Parliament that the cost of providing cooked food for vulnerable people in lockdown areas in Accra and Kumasi was GH¢54.3 million.

“Mr Speaker, the support to households, in terms of supply of dry food packs and hot cooked meals cost Government GH¢54.3 million to enable them to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. This was in addition to an amount of GH¢50.2 million transferred to the 400,000 most-vulnerable individuals under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme,” Mr Ofori-Atta said in Parliament.

The Minister further disclosed that 470,000 families were reached with the food distribution exercise and it was carried out in collaboration with faith-based organisations.

Shortly after that, Facebook users came online to mock the cost figure of GH¢54.3 million because they claim it is outrageous and most likely inflated.

Some comments accuse the Nana Akufo-Addo administration of blatant corruption.

Read some of the comments gathered on Facebook below.