Caterers
under
the
government’s
school
feeding
programme
in
the
Ashanti
region
are
threatening
to
withdraw
their
services
for
the
next
academic
year
if
the
government
fails
to
pay
all
outstanding
arrears
owed
to
them.
They
also
want
the
government
to
pay
them
GH1.50p
per
child
as
it
has
been
agreed.
The
caterers
say
they
were
expecting
to
receive
payment
for
3
academic
terms
at
GH¢1.50p
per
child
but
have
received
payment
for
only
one
academic
term
and
the
monies
reflected
show
that
they
were
paid
GH¢1.15p
per
pupil,
contrary
to
what
had
been
agreed
on.
The
caterers,
who
are
accusing
the
Gender
Minister,
Darkoa
Newman
of
treating
them
unfairly
say
she’s
deliberately
making
deductions
without
proper
explanation.
They
are
thus
urging
the
government
to
ensure
they
are
paid
what
has
been
promised
them
or
they
will
refuse
to
cook
in
the
next
academic
year.
in
an
interview
with
Citi
News,
Dorothy
Ofori
Sarpong,
the
Ashanti
regional
Secretary
for
Progressive
School
Feeding
Caterers
Association
of
Ghana
said,
“You
all
remember
last
year,
our
former
minister,
Hajia
Lariba
Zuweira
said
on
national
television
that
school
feeding
caterers
are
demanding
3gh
per
each
pupil.
But
according
to
her,
the
government
approved
1.5pesewas.
And
so,
this
current
national
coordinator
Hajia
Safia
Mohammed
also
said
the
same
thing,
three
months
ago
the
government
had
approved
1.50pesewas
and
payment
is
going
to
take
effect
from
the
2023
September
1st
term.
“And
so,
this
is
what
the
caterers
are
expecting,
only
to
realise
that
1.20
pesewas
that
they
used
to
pay
that
last
year’s
1st
term
amount.
And
then
deducted
5pesewas
from
each
pupil,
making
it
1.15pesewas.
We’re
saying
that
we
need
that
35pesewas,
before
the
end
of
next
week.
Some
of
them
too,
their
payments
didn’t
come,
some
too
underpayments.”
She
pleaded
with
the
vice
president
and
NPP
flagbearer
Dr
Mahamudu
Bawumia
to
intervene
in
the
matter.
“We’re
pleading
with
our
incoming
President,
Dr
Mahamudu
Bawumia
that
this
is
an
election
year,
we
don’t
want
a
situation
whereby
the
Gender
Ministry
is
going
to
do
worse
things
for
him.
He
should
come
in
and
look
into
the
matter…We’re
pleading
that
we
need
our
money.
“We
have
realised
the
ministry
is
not
taking
us
seriously
and
we
too
will
not
take
them
seriously.
And
we’re
going
not
to
cook,
nobody
will
cook,
this
year
if
they
don’t
pay
us.”
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