The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, plans to discuss with the Cabinet on Thursday, June 06, 2024, the possibility of involving parents in overseeing food distribution for students enrolled in the free SHS program.
Concerns have been raised regarding the quality of food provided to students in various schools, along with reports of school officials misappropriating some food items.
Moreover, there has been a recent issue of food shortages, with the National Food Buffer Stock reporting delays in government payments. While meeting with religious leaders during his visit to the Greater Accra Region on Wednesday, June 05, the Vice President, as reported by TV3’s Daniel Opoku, was urged by one clergy member to consider involving Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) in monitoring food distribution to schools in the event that he assumes the presidency.
Dr. Bawumia, having already expressed support for the idea in writing, commended the suggestion and pledged to bring it to the attention of the Cabinet for further consideration on Thursday.
If they get five bags, they may declare one bag. If nobody is looking. And so, this is a brilliant, really, suggestion. So, tomorrow I’ll be in Cabinet with the Education Minister and this is one of the first things I’m going to tell him that we are going to have to do. This makes a lot of sense.
I’ve even written a book in 2010 on some of these things. And you’ll find some of these ideas. These are the ideas that keep playing in my mind. I’m always thinking of how to get things done, how to do things better, and all of that. So, I take your point very well.
Dr. Bawumia highlighted the necessity of introducing commercial agriculture as a primary policy to combat the high costs of food in the markets.
Going forward, this is why I’m focusing on a few areas. First of all, I think agriculture and the expansion in food production will bring down food prices so that the hunger that we feel will come down. So Agric becomes very important in bringing down food prices.
This is why I believe that commercial agriculture, technology-driven precision agriculture, irrigated agriculture, mechanized agriculture is the way for Ghana to go, as many countries will do. I’ve also made a suggestion. We hope to start experimenting this year for public transport to move towards electric vehicles.
