Former Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection Hon.Otiko Afisa Djaba, has called on President Akufo-Addo to immediately direct the Finance Minister to release funds for aggrieved caterers to be paid agreed wages for their services.
According to her, the said payment must be termly and timely, otherwise, there is no equity.
Hon. Otiko Afisa Djaba’s comment comes after caterers under the School Feeding Programme declared a nationwide strike over unpaid arrears by government.
Caterers under the School Feeding Programme on Wednesday 26th April,2023 declared a nationwide strike.
The aggrieved caterers explained that the declaration of the nationwide strike is due to the government’s failure to pay them their arrears and increase the amount per child.
The caterers have also threatened to embark on a nationwide demonstration if their arrears are not paid as early as possible.
Speaking in an interview on Atinka FM’s AM Drive with host Nana Owoahene Acheampong, Hon.Otiko Afisa Djaba said, School Feeding operates on contract basis between the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and the Caterers under the supervision of the National School Feeding Secretariat.
She argued that when a contract is signed between parties each must adhere to the terms of reference and rules of engagement agreed on until otherwise changed. So, when caterers provide the service of cooking one hot meal for pupils at the basic schools, Government through the Ministry of Finance must release funds for them to be paid agreed wages for their services, and said payment must be termly and timely, otherwise there is no equity,” She said.
She added that the NPP Government is a listening one that has initiated and invested so much in social intervention like the free SHS, NHIS, LEAP, and School Feeding to address poverty and must not give the impression that they are not responding to the needs or losing touch with socially vulnerable groups at the grassroots level.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com |Vincent Kwofie.
