Some Kumasi JHS students reject Akufo-Addo's hot meal

Students of St. Cyprian's Anglican JHS 'A' in Kumasi today, Monday, 24 August 2020, rejected President Nana Akufo-Addo's free hot meal served them.

The students said the food was "not tasty" and was "salty".

"We are not prisoners to be served with this food," some of the students who spoke to Class News' regional correspondent Elisha Adarkwah said, adding: "Even prisoners will reject this food."

One of them said: "We thought they were going to serve us good food. Nana Akufo-Addo should abrogate the contract with the caterer and give it to my mother; she can cook it."

Some of the students who collected the food threw it away after their first taste.

The students, however, did not blame the President for the poor food but the caterer who was given the contract.

The headmaster of the school, Mr Stephen Adjei, said the food was delivered to all the 55 students but the teachers were neglected.

In his 15th COVID-19 address to the nation on Sunday, 16 August 2020, the President said all the candidates sitting the Basic Education Certificate Examination this year will enjoy one free hot meal a day.

"Most final-year university students have already completed their examinations, and, by 18th September, SHS 3 and JHS 3 students would have finished their respective final examinations of WASSCE and BECE.

"As a result of reports I have recently received that some final-year JHS students were going hungry, in complying with COVID-19 protocols, I have just instructed the Minister of Gender, Child and Social Protection to begin preparations to ensure that from 24th August up to 18th September, all five hundred and eighty-four thousand (584,000) final-year JHS students, and one hundred and forty-six thousand (146,000) staff, both in public and private schools, be given one hot meal a day", the President said.

"This is to ensure full observance of the COVID-19 safety protocols", he explained.