School Feeding Caterers deny 'ghost schools' media reports

Some Caterers of the School Feeding Program in the Northern Region have refuted media reports that suggested they are working in “ghost schools”.

Reports suggested that Northern Regional Women’s Organiser of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Hajia Rahana Abdul Aziz has been operating nine “ghost schools” in the region under the School Feeding Program.

The nine alleged non-existing schools include St Joseph Primary, St Paul’s Primary, Wataniya E/R Islamic Primary, Police Barracks Kukuo AME Zion Primary, Nyankpala D/A Primary, Nyankpala Islamic Primary, St Monicas R/C Primary, and Nizamia E/A Primary both in the Tamale metropolis and Tolon district respectively.

Reacting to the said publications, the caterers at a press briefing in Tamale stated that “the allegations of receiving payment from the government without cooking to students is false”.

The School Feeding Caterers hinted that they have been using their funds in the last two years to provide free meals for the pupils but yet to receive their subventions from the Ghana School Feeding Secretariat.

The Caterers said, despite the challenges they continue to feed the pupils with delicious meals.

“We have been contracted by the government under the School Feeding Program to feed the children and we are doing just that. For some time now we’ve been using our own funds to feed these children because we cannot allow them to go hungry…no we cannot do that to these little ones…they are our children also”.

Madam Humaiyatu Kamil, a caterer at the St Paul primary school noted that the children enjoy the meals very much and are always thrilled when it is time for feeding.

She however lamented that things will go wrong if the School Feeding Secretariate don’t something about their subventions.

She said, the allegations of ghost schools do not exist at all but an attempt to tarnish people's image, adding that, the media should always cross-check their facts before publication.

The Caterers from the nine alleged “ghost schools” showed their working documents to the media to clear any doubts about their work and existence.

The NPP Women’s Organiser has since denied the allegations leveled against her.

Meanwhile, headteachers from the various schools expressed satisfaction about the works of the caterers but called on the School Feeding Program Secretariate to as matter of urgency pay the caterers.