MORE TO BENEFIT FROM SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMME (MIRROR, PAGE 21, MAY 8, 2010)

From Joe Okyere, Ajumako.

Two more primary schools in the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam (AEE) District are to benefit from the School Feeding Programme at no extra cost in the next academic year.
This follows the detection of excess number of 542 pupils in the three schools which were benefiting from the programme.
The three schools which started the programme are Abrofoa, Aworodo and Ekukrom.
Accordiing to the District Chief Executive, Mr Peter Light Koomson, the excess of the 542 was uncovered during an exercise in the first quarter of the 2010 in an exercise carried out by the assembly to streamline and harmonise the number on roll in each of the three beneficiary schools.
Mr Koomson said at the end of the exercise it was realised that the excess number could support the programme in two additional schools at no extra cost.
He said the assembly has within 60 days made a savings of about GH¢13,000 after the detection of the excess number.
Consequently, he said the assembly had applied to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Ghana National School Feeding Programme to extend the programme to the schools at Ajumako Solomon and Ahamakurambua during the next academic year.
He said the assembly was currently making arrangements to put up two kitchens in the villages for the programme.
He said the acquisition of a motor grader for the assembly in August last year had helped it to construct new access roads and reshaped a number of existing ones.
On rural electrification, Mr Koomson said the Ministry of Energy has abrogated the contract it signed with Kosman Electrical Works for failing to live up to expectation and reawarded the contract to Kwanash Enterprise Ltd to complete outstanding works in some communities in the district.
He said the assembly was also participating in the International Labour Organisation’s Decent Work Programme to promote small and medium-scale business enterprises in the district.
A Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, commended the assembly for unearthing the deal to enable more pupils in the district to benefit from the School Feeding Programme and said the government was reviewing the Local Government Act to enhance participation by all segments of society.