Caterers in the School Feeding Program have called the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government as callous and insensitive over its failure to address their concerns.
This comes after caterers had asked the government to settle their outstanding balance over food supplies and increase the amount of money allocated per child.
In an attempt to draw attention to their needs, the school caterers embarked on a strike, hence ceasing the provision of food to schools.
The Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Lariba Zuweira Abudu proposed an increase of 1.20 GH¢, but caterers claimed that the government’s proposal is insufficient and unacceptable.
The school caterers demanded payment of 3.50 GH¢ per child before ending the strike.
In an interview on Eyewitness News on CitiFm , spokesperson for caterers in the Ashanti region, Dorothy Ofori Sarpong criticized the government for not complying with their demands.
She claimed that their calls for solution had been in vain.
“Nobody in the national head office or the presidency will say that they have not heard what is going on. They are our husbands, we are their wives, sisters and daughters, and they know us. Nobody has even taken the pain to ask why we have been ranting all this while.`’
According to her, the government had shown lack of concern towards their issues despite being well-informed over the matter.
She hence described the government as ‘heartless’ following their unresponsiveness.
“They rather insult us that we are disgracing them, but what we are going through, they don’t care, that is why I’m saying they [government] are heartless, people are dying, and they don’t care. We have gone everywhere, they all have information about our case.”
According to Ms. Sarpong, the only possible way she sees the government returning to power is if their problems are rightly addressed.
She believes that government’s lack of care for the country will reduce the ruling government’s chances of returning to power.
“If they don’t provide us with our demands, we can gain momentum and work to ensure they are a listening government. They should listen to our cries and provide us with what we want. If they refuse, we all go to bed. Until they pay us, for them to gain power and control over us, we will never do the same again. ”
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Story by | Emmanuella Adu Gyamfi | universnews.ug.edu.gh
