GSFP AND MATTERS ARISING

THE Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) is one initiative that was introduced by the NPP government under the eight year rule of ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor. Since its inception in 2005, the programme has, in diverse ways, helped many school children especially those who come from poor family backgrounds.

THE concept also motivated many parents- particularly in deprived areas to send their children to school. What it meant was that such poor parents did not have to think of how to feed their wards at school, since arguably that responsibility was taken over by the State.

SINCE the NDC assumed office on January 7, 2009, there were media reports to the effect that the government would terminate the appointment of caterers in charge of the programme. And true to their word the appointments of these individual caterers had been terminated.

THAT decision which did not go down well with the caterers saw many of them besieging the Secretariat of the GSFP on Monday September 14, 2009. Their reason was to demand an explanation from the authorities regarding why their appointments have been terminated.

WHAT even heightened the fears of the caterers was that the ongoing exercise was politically motivated. According to the irate caterers, their contracts are being terminated by the NDC government, and in turn new contracts given out to card-bearing members of the ruling NDC party.

ALTHOUGH the Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Hon. Yirleh Chireh, has come out to state clearly that the exercise is not politically motivated, we still think that the government needs to convince Ghanaians that there are no political maneuverings in the termination of the contracts of the caterers.

THE Minister explained in an interview on Peace FM, an Accra based radio station that the exercise is done to restructure the award of contracts to caterers who will be manning the GSFP in the various schools. He further noted that the GSFP is being given a facelift to get rid of corrupt elements within the system.

TODAY would not have cause to raise issues with the Minister if indeed what he has put out represent the actual facts on the ground. But, what is baffling us on this paper is why those whose contracts have been terminated would have reason to believe that the exercise has some political considerations.

TODAY believes that Ghanaians have gone past the stage where we should always be reading political meanings into every single issue in this country. We also want to advise our politicians to desist from taking actions which will give cause for citizens to cry foul over some political decisions.

AS a nation, we need to move away from the practice where a new government tends to compel public officials, for whatever reasons best known to them, to go on leave which eventually leads to the termination of their appointments. This practice must never be made to grow with us as a nation.