Ibrahim Adjei, a former Assistant Secretary at the Office of Former President Nana Akufo-Addo, has thrown his full support behind the government’s decision to restructure the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), describing it as a necessary step to restore accountability and efficiency.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Monday, Adjei endorsed the bold move following the termination of contracts for all caterers nationwide under the programme. The GSFP Secretariat announced the sweeping termination in an official statement dated May 2, 2025, citing operational concerns and the need for a system-wide overhaul.
“So with the restructuring, I am totally in support of it,” Adjei stated. “The NPP did it in terms of how we can cure the human propensity to go outside of the law. Laws are in place, but people go out of the law to do things for their gain.”
The directive from the Secretariat included a ban on meal provision for the third term of the 2024/2025 academic year. It also assured affected caterers that outstanding payments for second-term services would be settled.
Adjei highlighted long-standing issues with the implementation of the programme, including misuse and manipulation by some school authorities and stakeholders. These loopholes, he argued, have diverted the initiative from its core goal—providing nutritious meals to schoolchildren to enhance learning and attendance.
“The misuse of the programme by some school authorities created loopholes that undermined the intended purpose,” he noted.
The GSFP, once lauded as a flagship social intervention aimed at boosting school enrolment and fighting child hunger, has faced criticism in recent years over payment delays, food quality concerns, and politicisation in caterer appointments.
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