Two implicated in alleged fraud in the implementation of the GSFP in Garu

Two caterers of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, GSFP, in the Garu-Tempane District have been fingered in an alleged fraud for failing to deliver on their mandate of providing catering services to five beneficiary schools in the district. 

It has been established that the two, Paulina Atigah and Gladys Fumilar Laar have been receiving payment from the office of the GSFP to cater for the five schools since the second term of the 2014/2015 academic year for no work done. 

At a press conference held  in Garu, a group calling itself "Concern Assembly Members” pleaded with the media to help unravel the mystery surrounding the said payment, which they considered as illegal. 

The group questions why the caterers have since January 13, last year received an amount to the tune of Two Hundred and Twenty Nine Thousand, 341 Ghana Cedis but failed to deliver catering services to the schools entrusted under their care. 

They are equally worried as to why the assembly is not privy to the inclusion of the schools enrolled into the programme. 

As required by the Assembly's standing orders, the District Chief Executive should have contacted the executive committee of the assembly for approval.

 The spokesperson for the group. Mr. Moses Badeobo Bambil told Radio Ghana that the five schools mysteriously found their names into the feeding payroll. 

He said when contacted, the caterers have indicated their ignorance, saying they are not even aware of their engagement to provide catering services for the five schools. 

They are Nisbuliga D/A Primary, Worikambo D/A Primary, Azuguri D/A Primary, Abilatega D/A Primary and Wakuan D/A Primary. The payment, the group further revealed was made to cover 273 days with difference in enrolment figures. 

This, it said raises suspicion that the actual payment began much earlier. Interestingly, the enrolment figures used to receive payments from the GSFP is completely different from the actual figures of pupils in the beneficiary schools. 

The group is therefore calling on the government and agencies concerned to intervene and investigate the matter to expose the rot.

All attempts to reach the caterers to respond to the matter had proven futile. 

The meeting was attended by a cross section of the public including assembly members, teachers as well as representatives of the GPRTU. 

Also present was the constituency Chairman for the NDC, Edward Dahamani and other party supporters from the political divide.

GBC                                              END        IA/SA