Kwakye Ofosu, acting spokesperson for President John Dramani Mahama, has assured the public that the government is taking steps to address the challenges in the Free Senior High School (SHS) feeding program.
This follows the release of GHS 200 million to resolve food supply shortages that have caused concern among students and school authorities.
In an interview with Channel One Newsroom on Sunday, January 2, Ofosu criticized the previous administration for poor planning and lack of foresight in implementing the Free SHS policy.
He explained that when schools were set to reopen, they faced the problem of insufficient food supplies due to mismanagement and ineffective execution of the program.
“Two weeks ago, the government released GHS 200 million to tackle the food shortages,” Ofosu said. “This action was necessary because, despite the Free SHS policy, schools were about to open with no food available for the students, which was a direct result of poor planning.”
Ofosu also revealed that headmasters had requested a delay in reopening to allow more time for food supplies to be arranged, but their request was denied. This led to schools reopening without adequate food for students.
Upon taking office, President Mahama swiftly took action, ensuring food supplies were delivered to schools within days. Additionally, the GHS 200 million was allocated to schools through the Ghana Education Service (GES) to help procure food for students.
Looking ahead, Ofosu reassured the public that the government is committed to preventing such shortages in the future and ensuring food security for the Free SHS program.
“We have addressed the immediate concerns, and moving forward, we are committed to ensuring there is enough food to meet the needs of our students,” he concluded.
