Some unpaid school feeding caterers in the Nkwanta North District of the Oti Region are demanding their arrears owed by the government.
They said the government owed them for the second term of the 2024–2025 academic year, ans this was affecting those who have already left the programme.
The caterers expressed frustration at the government’s decision to pay 42 out of 55 caterers, leaving 13 unpaid despite numerous calls and follow-ups to the Oti Regional School Feeding Coordinator’s office.
Mr Solomon Kakiba, the spokesperson for the caterers, said they had dedicated years to serving their communities and feeding thousands of schoolchildren through the school feeding programme and deserved to be paid.
Mr Kakiba noted that they did complain when the NDC government terminated their contracts without warning but stepped aside to allow new caterers to take over and therefore expected payment for their services.
However, they were yet to receive any explanations as to why only 42 of the 55 caterers were paid, leaving the rest.
Despite several meetings with Mr Isaiah Dordoe, the District Chief Executive (DCE), who promised to address the matter eight weeks ago, the caterers are still awaiting a solution.
Meanwhile, their debts continued to accumulate, and their families suffer, even as the Finance Minister publicly announced that all caterers had been paid for the second and third terms of the 2024–2025 academic year.
“Who is pocketing our money?” they questioned and warned that they would not hesitate to block access to schools if the government fails to pay them within a week.
The affected caterers expressed worry that debt collectors continued to harass them and warned of taking drastic actions if their grievances went unheeded.
