Ghana Armed Forces begins distribution of food supplies to SHSs – Dr Apaak confirms
Former Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Education Committee, Clement Apaak, has confirmed that the Ghana Armed Forces has commenced the distribution of food supplies from warehouses to Senior High Schools (SHSs) across the country.
President John Mahama had earlier ordered the distribution of food meant for victims of last year’s drought in the northern part of the country to be redirected to schools.
This initiative follows concerns over food shortages in schools and aims to provide immediate relief to students and staff.
In an interview on Joy FM‘s Newsnight on Thursday, January 16, the Builsa South MP, disclosed this development after visiting Tema with representatives from the Office of the Chief of Staff, the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service (GES), and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Service.
“I can tell you that the process has begun, okay, that by the end of next week, all schools should receive the quantities of rice they deserve, so we are prioritising,” he said.
“The trucks have started moving. The slight delay was due to awaiting detailed information from the Ministry of Education and the GES regarding breakdowns of quantities, locations, and contact persons. Security arrangements were also essential, especially given recent instances of cargo attacks.”
Dr Apaak confirmed that distribution to Greater Accra schools would begin immediately, with schools close to Accra receiving their allocations tonight. Schools far away from the capital will have their supplies dispatched over the coming days, he added.
Additionally, he noted that the military and police trucks are providing logistical support to ensure the safe and timely delivery of these supplies.
While the current effort addresses immediate food shortages, Dr Apaak acknowledged the need for sustainable solutions. He noted that the Chief of Staff, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Education, is working to allocate resources that will empower headmasters to independently procure food supplies in the future.
“This is a short-term measure. In the medium to long term, the processes initiated by the Chief of Staff and the relevant ministries should enable headmasters to procure food for their schools. We expect the requisite resources to be available within a week,” he added.
Source: myjoyonline