By: Roberta Gayode Modin
Former Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Otiko Afisa Djaba has denied any wrongdoing by awarding school feeding contracts to 550 women organizers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) during her regime.
According to her, women organizers of the NPP are also citizens who have the right to work and earn a living.
“I deliberately contributed by engaging 550 women organizers and I tell you, I will not apologize for it. They are also Ghanaians and they need jobs”, she boldly stated on the GTV Breakfast Show when Thelma Tackie asked if she played a role in the politicization of the school feeding programme.
However, Madam Djaba maintained that the current workforce of school feeding caterers is around 30,000 and it includes sympathizers of other political parties.
School feeding caterers embarked on a nationwide strike on April 26, 2023, over the government’s failure to pay arrears owed them and increase the amount per child.
She called on all actors involved in the School feeding programme to be committed in working efficiently to achieve the objectives of the programme.