School Feeding challenges: Otiko Djaba makes 9 recommendations to government

Former Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection Otiko Afisa Djaba has made nine recommendations to the government in an effort to resolve the recent controversy surrounding the school nutrition program.

According to her, once the government implements her recommendations, all dissent surrounding the program will cease.

The recommendations by Hon. Otiko Afisa Djaba follows a nationwide strike by School Feeding Programme caterers over unpaid government debt.

On April 26, 2023, caterers for the School Feeding Program declared a nationwide strike.

The aggrieved caterers explained that the nationwide strike was called because the government had failed to pay their arrears and increase the amount per child.

The caterers have also threatened a nationwide protest if their arrears are not settled as soon as feasible.

In a Press release, Madam Otiko Afisa Djaba called on the President to direct the Finance Minister to release funds for the aggrieved caterers to be paid agreed wages for their services and said payment must be termly and timely, otherwise, there is no equity.

“School Feeding operates on a contract basis between the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the Caterers under the supervision of the National School Feeding Secretariat.

Below are the 9 Recommendations:

1. Government must wake up to the plight of the caterers and address their misery and pleas for improved conditions of service and payment immediately. If when the clouds darkened and gathered you didn’t see rain, when it rained how can you say you did not see that the ground was wet

2. The President should please authorize the Minister of Finance to immediately increase the rate per child from ninety-seven Pesewas to a decent wage worthy of a hot nutritious meal – I propose Ghs5.00 per child

3. To pay all arrears, including caterers who have not been paid or under paid, settle payments for the hot meals prepared during Covid -19 and all other underpayments immediately.

4. With urgency, the School Feeding monitoring and payment system must be digitalized to reduce negative human interference and corruption.

5. Govt must listen, pay caterers promptly like they do other public servants and the termly payments must be timely

6. Government must be gender responsive, gender equal and gender equitable to reduce inequalities among caterers and to ensure that no caterer is left behind or out,

7. Government must plan ahead for the future to provide them with decent wages, pre-financing options and better working conditions for quality life of caterers to meet future increases in food prices and inflation.

8. Both Caterers and Government must recognize that School Feeding is a partnership and when Government plays its part of the agreement then Caterers on their part must fulfill their obligations for an improved sustainable school feeding programme.

9. All the actors involved in School Feeding, in particular the officials of the National School Feeding Secretariat, Ministry of Gender, Ministry of Finance, MCE’s, DCE’s, Regional Ministers, GES, Headteachers, teachers, the pupils, parents, farmers and suppliers of food items must be fully committed to all work together effectively with leadership from the Government to ensure that the Ghana School Feeding Program achieves its objectives to end poverty and hunger, increase enrollment and retention, promote and protect the human rights of the caterers and pupils to achieve education for all children of school going age, gender equality and equity, and the empowerment of the caterers and pupils successfully.