President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been called upon to ensure that all the challenges associated with the free Senior High School programme including issues with nonpayment of arrears to the food suppliers are addressed immediately.
The call made by Builsa South lawmaker Dr Clement Apaak comes on the back of the picketing by Food Suppliers over the two years’ arrears owed them by the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO).
A spokesperson for the National Food Suppliers Association Koku Amedume said that this situation is putting pressure on them because they took loans from banks to enable them to meet the supply needs of the Buffer Stock.
Speaking on the Ghana Tonight Show with Alfred Ocansey on TV3 Tuesday, July 4, Amedume indicated that the suppliers who spent the night at the premises of the NAFCO as part of the demonstration are more comfortable sleeping at the premises of NAFCO than sleeping in their homes because of the pressure on them.
He also said they are worried about the interest being accrued on the loans they took because of the nonpayment by NAFCO.
“The pressure on us at home is massive. Most of these people go to contract loans from banks with huge interests with the sole aim of supporting their business and engaging in this supply business.
“Buffer stock had taken supplies from them for two years, for two years we have not been paid,” he said.
Dr Clement Apaak expressed concerns that schools are likely to close down if the Food Suppliers under the Free Senior High School Programme are not paid their arrears by the end of this week.
He stated that failure to pay the arrears will mean that the suppliers will no longer be in a position to supply food to the schools.
Dr Apaak who is also a ranking member of the parliamentary select committee on Education asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to ensure that the arrears owed the suppliers are paid to enable them to stay in business.
“I truly don’t understand what the problem is, we have been told that even with the IMF programme critical sectors like education and health and indeed social intervention programmes are protected, so if that is the case why has the government failed to release money so that the Buffer Stock Food suppliers will be paid?
“From what I know, the amount owed them is not even in excess of GHS300 million. So what has the government been doing with the money that Parliament has been approving year in and year out to finance the Free SHS policy?
“The President ought to step up to the plate and do the needful so that we don’t have schools closed down by the end of this week if nothing is done. If nothing is done by the end of this week, mark my words, schools will be closed down because the suppliers are no longer in a position to supply food,” Dr Apaak said on Ghana Tonight on TV3 Tuesday, July 4.