President Directs Evacuation of Food to Senior High Schools to Address Feeding Challenges

President John Dramani Mahama has issued a directive for the immediate evacuation of food stored in warehouses at Tema to senior high schools across the country to address the ongoing challenges with the school feeding program.

Speaking during the Christian National Thanksgiving Service at the University for Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), on Sunday, President Mahama acknowledged the difficulties schools are facing in feeding their students, especially following the Ghana Education Service’s (GES) insistence on reopening schools on January 3, despite calls from the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) for a postponement.

“As we speak, we have a challenge currently with feeding students in secondary schools,” the President said. “As a stopgap measure, I have asked the Chief of Staff to work with the Ghana Education Service to allocate and evacuate food currently held in warehouses in Tema.”

The President explained that the food in question had been imported by the previous government in response to a drought in Northern Ghana last year. “In this emergency, we need to use some of that food to feed our students,” he added.

Commitment to Education

President Mahama emphasized the government’s commitment to making education a cornerstone of its reset agenda. This includes improving infrastructure, equipping teachers with resources, and expanding technological access for students.

He announced plans to convene a National Education Review Conference as part of the government’s 120-day plan to address challenges at all levels of the education system. The conference is expected to provide a platform for stakeholders to build consensus on achieving quality education.

“This will help us forge a consensus on the way forward to achieve quality education,” the President noted.

High-Profile Attendance

The Thanksgiving Service was attended by a host of dignitaries, including Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, First Lady Lordina Mahama, and leading members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), such as National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia and General Secretary