Gender Ministry Explains Termination of School Feeding Contracts
By Rebecca Okine
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has offered clarification on the decision to terminate contracts under the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), following concerns raised by affected personnel.
In a statement dated March 4, 2025, and signed by the sector Minister, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, the Ministry announced the cancellation of contracts for all regional and zonal coordinators under the programme. The termination took effect on the same date.
Addressing the issue in a public video statement, Dr. Lartey cited poor performance and operational lapses by many of the coordinators as the main reasons for the move. Monitoring reports from the Ministry revealed that a large number of coordinators had either stopped cooking altogether or were operating inconsistently.
“Most of them, from monitoring, were not cooking,” she said. “And some too were cooking but not consistently. They are very much aware they were not cooking.”
She noted that while some coordinators had claimed to have made purchases in preparation for the new school term, the Ministry could not compensate them for work not done. However, those who had actively participated in the programme within the relevant period would be paid accordingly.
“For the period that they have cooked, they will be paid,” Dr. Lartey assured.
Dr. Lartey also emphasized that the affected coordinators had been aware of the Ministry’s intentions for some time and added that they are welcome to reapply if they are still interested in being part of the programme going forward.
“They know they have the opportunity to reapply if they are interested,” she said. “Sometimes they’ve been in the know from the very beginning.” The Ministry has pledged to ensure a smooth transition and is working to reinforce accountability within the GSFP to better serve schoolchildren across the country.
