Gov’t Is Mishandling School Feeding Programme - CJA

The Committee for Joint Action (CJA) has expressed dissatisfaction about the way government is managing the school feeding programme.

The pressure group claims the school feeding programme is characterized by anomalies like improper means of selecting caterers, forgeries, fraudulent activities and non-compliance with procurement rules.

At a press conference in Accra today, a leading member of the CJA, Kwasi Adu said, “government could have successfully introduced whatever changes it wanted to implement through a seamless process.”

The CJA openly chastised the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) for placing an advertisement in the dailies, calling for new applicants or caterers in the school feeding programme with barely a fortnight to the re-opening of schools.

“It was wrong for the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) with just about two weeks to the re-opening of schools, advertise for new applicants or caterers to take over from caterers engaged in the school feeding programme,” he censured.

To help curb the inconsistencies in the school feeding programme, Mr. Adu, called for a complete overhaul of the secretariat of the programme with a focus to meeting the real needs of the school children.

The CJA Member also called for the establishment of clear performance standards for all caterers and the employment of robust action to deliver the service.

“The principle of good practice in the engagement of caterers must also be adhered to,” he advocated.