Political Disputes Threaten School Feeding Program in Upper West Region, Endangering Children's Nutrition

Political disagreements are jeopardizing the crucial Ghana School Feeding Program, leaving schoolchildren at risk of missing their daily meals. The controversy centers around disputes over caterer appointments, with opposition parties and local leaders clashing over who should be selected to serve as food providers in various communities.

Alhaji Mustapha Goveir, the former Upper West Regional Organizer for the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) speaking on Info Radio Weekend Watch radio program blamed ongoing challenges on disagreements over the allocation of catering contracts. He pointed out that the previous agitation by the Sissala West MP, Hon. Mohammed Sukparu, against assigning caterers outside their own constituencies, has significantly hampered the program’s smooth operation. Goveir emphasized that appointing regional and national party officials to oversee the contracts is a long-standing practice designed to streamline implementation and maintain political balance. He warned that insisting on local-only caterers complicates the process, leading to delays and disruptions in feeding children.

Goveir also criticized the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), accusing their regional leadership of making false promises to polling station executives regarding school feeding contracts. He claimed these promises were unrealistic and only fueled false expectations among supporters, ultimately undermining the program’s stability.

In response, Loggu Naa Mumuni, a member of the NDC’s regional communications team, voiced concern over the mounting disruptions. He highlighted that some children have already missed meals due to the conflicts, calling on NDC leaders to step in and help resolve the disputes swiftly. “Our focus must be on ensuring children receive their hot meals daily,” he stressed, advocating for effective conflict resolution mechanisms within the party to restore the program’s smooth running.

Since the start of the last academic term, the School Feeding Program in the Upper West has struggled to operate fully across all schools, primarily due to political disagreements over caterer appointments. In some communities, tensions have escalated to violence, with reports of food being poured away by irate youth in Busa, a community in the Wa municipality . As the region grapples with these conflicts, the future of the program—and the nutrition of countless children—remains uncertain.