The government has released GH¢67,943,652 to cover operations at the various education colleges following an announcement that trainees would feed themselves beginning 8 May 2022.
The National Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education – Ghana (PRINCOF) said they could not meet payment obligations for food items supplied to them.
Consequently, the suppliers had threatened to stop the provision of food items.
The inability of the colleges to pay for supplies forced the government to act quickly to disburse the funds.
The monies are meant to cover part of the arrears for the 2020-2021 academic year, which amounts to GH¢117,942,642 for the education colleges to provide food for trainees.
The government previously paid GH¢60 million last year to run the colleges.
Part of the monies released is also expected to cater for teacher trainee allowances, but the total bill for the 2020-2021 academic year is still outstanding.
Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, announced the government’s intervention on Wednesday, 20 April 2022, as he assured the colleges of the government’s support.
“We want to take advantage of your presence here to make the country know that the President of the Republic, the Finance Minister and all those who are to ensure that various promises made to CoEs are carried through have delivered on their promise, and that is why, once again, this amount has been released to the colleges,” the minister said at a press conference in Accra.
Background
PRINCOF had said that suppliers who delivered food items to education colleges for months without payment had withdrawn their services affecting the 46 colleges across the country.
“Most colleges now have food items that can last only one week if students are to be provided with three (3) meals a day,” PRINCOF said in a letter to the Education Minister.
The release which was signed by the Executive Secretary of PRINCOF, Dr Harriet Naki Amui, consequently suggested that “trainee teachers will be provided with two meals, breakfast and supper only for one week, from April 23 to April 30, 2022.”
“Trainee teachers from May 1 to May 8, 2022, shall be given lunch only. After May 8, trainee teachers would be asked to provide their own meals until their feeding allowances have been paid,” it said.
They further encouraged food vendors to increase the number of daily meals they cook for sale to students.
“These measures are meant to ensure that there is no disruption of the academic calendar,” the letter concluded.