The Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company, George Abradu-Otoo, has directed heads of senior high schools to enforce strict quality control measures on food supplies, stressing that inadequate portions being served to students must be addressed urgently.
He issued the directive while monitoring food deliveries in selected senior high schools in the Eastern Region as part of efforts to ensure uninterrupted feeding and resolve operational bottlenecks under the Free SHS programme.
The CEO visited Aburi Girls’ Senior High School and Benkum Senior High School, where he found storerooms stocked with essential food items. School authorities expressed satisfaction with the steady supply but appealed for expanded storage facilities and improved coordination with suppliers to enable phased deliveries.
Wilhelmina Oboubisa-Atakora, Headmistress of Aburi Girls’ Senior High School, said: “Everything is well here for us at Aburi Girls, only that we do not have enough space. This is why some heads may reject receiving items when suppliers bring them. The suppliers need to be introduced to us so that we can properly communicate on when food should be supplied.”
At Benkum Senior High School, Deputy Chief Stores Officer Abigail Sarpong highlighted concerns about storage and quality.
“We have enough food now; we just do not have enough space to keep it. We wish they would bring it in phases. Samples of the goods to be delivered to schools should be sanctioned before they are brought to us. The rice we have is not tasty; the students do not enjoy it,” she said.
Mr Abradu-Otoo instructed school heads to reject substandard goods and avoid signing delivery documents for items that fail to meet contractual requirements.
“We have told the heads of schools — it is even part of the contract — not to sign any document if the goods the suppliers bring are not of the required standard, especially on issues of expiry dates. Do not sign. Suppliers cannot just wake up and carry items to schools; liaise with our regional buffer stock directors and the schools before distribution,” he said.
He was particularly critical of the portions of certain food items served to students.
“It is unacceptable to give a tin of milk to 10 students and three sardines to 10 students to share. That is so wrong. This is not our jurisdiction, but I will engage the Free School Feeding Secretariat and other responsible bodies to take a decision. It is very disheartening; we have supplied enough foodstuffs and essentials to the schools,” he added.
The CEO also met with Eastern Regional Minister Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey to discuss strengthening collaboration to improve food distribution systems. He further inspected the company’s regional office in Koforidua and toured its warehouse facility at Kukurantumi, both of which are expected to undergo renovation to enhance storage capacity and operational efficiency.