A Deputy Ranking member on parliament’s select committee on education who doubles as the MP for Builsa South, Mr Clement Apaak, has called on the government to release the arrears of GH¢ 3.4 million, debt to national food buffer stock to enable the company to supply foods to schools.
The lawmaker who had raised concerns over the shortage of food in our secondary schools and the need for the government to address it said the food available for some of the schools, can only sustain them for about two weeks.
He questioned the whereabouts of GhC 2.3 billion money allocated and approved to finance the free Senior High school policy.
He referenced the appearance of the Education Minister Dr. Osei Adutwum and his admission that the government was indebted to the Buffer Stock.
He said he had to raise the questions because the situation was dire and in light of the revelations from the schools that they had run out of food supplies.
The shortage he lamented was not limited to the Upper East but was across the country.
The MP said he would have thought that the Minister would have been able to tell parliament that they had paid the debt, but unfortunately, they have not paid the debt.
Dr. Apaak asked parents and Ghanaians to demand accountability from the government and ask why it has been unable to pay the debt owed buffer stock despite the approval of Ghc2.3 billion for the implementation of free SHS for 2022.
Mr Apaak called on President Nana Akufo-Addo to instruct the Finance Minister to release monies approved to enable buffer stock supply foods for the final year students.
”It was important for us to continue to advocate and call on the President to instruct the Minister for Finance to release the monies that we have approved for Buffer Stock suppliers to be paid in full so that they can continue to supply food to keep our young men and women who are busy preparing for their WASSCE well nourished so they can have the serenity of mind, soul and spirit to excel in the upcoming WASSCE.”
Dr. Clement Apaak further raised issues over the current trend where headmasters are using their own resources to buy chalk and other learning materials to aid teaching and learning in our basic schools.
He wants all arrears under the Capitation Grant to be released immediately to ensure that our basic teachers teach effectively.,
He concluded by revealing that although the BECE and WASSCE were around the corner, the government was indebted to WAEC to the tune of Ghc23 million for exams conducted in 2021.
”As we speak, WAEC needs a minimum of Ghc90 million to prepare for the 2022 BECE and WASSCE. Those monies have not been released. So there is the possibility that WAEC’s calender could be disrupted. So we want to use this opportunity to call on the government to do the needful. Pay WAEC the Ghc23 million arrears for WASSCE and BECE of 2021 and make the Ghc96 million available to WAEC to prepare adequately so that our young men and women who are looking forward to writing their terminal exams at the JHS level and SHS level would not be disappointed”.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
