Senior high school administrators have been instructed by George Abradu-Otoo, CEO of the National Food Buffer Stock Company, to demand high-quality food supply from authorised suppliers.
In order to guarantee continuous feeding and resolve operational bottlenecks under the school feeding program, he issued the command while keeping an eye on food deliveries in a few senior high schools in the Eastern Region.
The schools we visited, Aburi Girls’ Senior High School and Benkum Senior High School, had sufficient food supplies on hand, and their storerooms were stocked with necessities.
The school administration was pleased with the consistent food supply, but they requested more storage space and better supplier coordination to allow for phased delivery.
The quantity of meals provided to pupils, food preservation, and storage issues were their main concerns. In order to guarantee that only authorised and standardised food products are supplied, they also demanded more stringent enforcement.
“Everything is well here for us at Aburi Girls, only that we do not have enough space,” stated Wilhelmina Oboubisa-Atakora, Headmistress of Aburi Girls’ Senior High School. “This is why some heads may reject receiving items when suppliers bring them. The suppliers need to be introduced to us so that we can properly communicate on when food should be supplied.”
Abigail Sarpong, the Deputy Chief Stores Officer of Benkum Senior High School, also discussed the availability of food.
“We have enough food now; we just do not have enough space to keep it. We wish they would bring it in phases. Samples of the goods to be delivered to schools should be sanctioned before they are brought to us. The rice we have is not tasty; the students do not enjoy it,” she remarked.
Mr. Abradu-Otoo gave school administrators instructions to only accept food that has undergone quality control inspections.
“We have told the heads of schools, it is even part of the contract, not to sign any document if the goods the suppliers bring are not of the required standard, especially on issues of expiry dates. Do not sign. Suppliers cannot just wake up and carry items to schools; liaise with our regional buffer stock directors and the schools before distribution,” he said.
He expressed worries about the amount of some foods, such as milk and sardines, that were offered to pupils and made plans to include stakeholders in order to improve quantities.
“It is unacceptable to give a tin of milk to 10 students and three sardines to 10 students to share. That is so wrong. This is not our jurisdiction, but I will engage the Free School Feeding Secretariat and other responsible bodies to take a decision. It is very disheartening; we have supplied enough foodstuffs and essentials to the schools,” he added.
Additionally, the CEO met with Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, the Eastern Regional Minister, to improve food delivery methods and foster greater cooperation.
He also visited the company’s warehouse in Kukurantumi and its regional office in Koforidua.
It is anticipated that both facilities will undergo renovations to improve storage capacity and operational efficiency.
Source: newsthemegh.com