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Bagbin, Fobih clash over school
feeding grants | |
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The subject of delays in
releasing feeding grants to schools in the north
resulted in hot exchanges between the Minister of Education, Science and Sports and the Minority Leader.
Prof. Dominick Fobih and Mr. Alban Bagbin disagreed
largely on the issues on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show
on Monday, March 10, 2008.
While Prof. Fobih attributed the delay to the
non-approval of the GET-Fund budget, |
Mr. Bagbin disagreed,
arguing that the feeding fees were a budgetary item on the
Ministry of Education budget.
“The bursary for the feeding grant is not usually funded
from the GET-Fund”, he stressed.
Responding, Prof. Fobih said the feeding fee was a
component of a scholarship scheme, adding that the money
was sourced from the GET-Fund.
“Every child in the north whether the father is a Vice
President or a Professor benefits from the feeding grant”,
he noted.
The Minority Leader “should be aware that the money is
paid through the Scholarship Secretariat.
So once the GET-Fund budget has not been approved, the
GET-Fund
Administrator could not release money for an unapproved
budget”, the
Prof. stated
Mr. Bagbin rejected that explanation, saying that the
draft GET-Fund formula for disbursing funds for the year
had not been presented before Parliament for debate,
discussion and approval.
He blamed the delays on debilitating bureaucracy at the
Ministry of Education.
According to him, the GET-Fund administrator had presented
the draft formula to the ministry for onward submission to
Parliament for debate and approval but the Ministry was
yet to act.
Mr. Bagbin described as “irresponsible” the Professor’s
statement that every child whether his father is a vice
president or not was a beneficiary of the feeding grant.
“He should tell Ghanaians the total number of students in
the north and how many of them benefit from the feeding
grant”, he challenged.
Asked what he thought accounted for
the situation, Mr. Bagbin said the ministry had not
prioritised the payment of the feeding grant.
He said the delays in releasing feeding grants had
happened many times compelling the heads of the various
schools to close down the schools.
The Minority Leader also indicated that the GET-Fund was
being overburdened by the Ministry and gave the assurance
that draft formula would be scrutinised when it was put
before Parliament.
A charge Prof. Fobih denied arguing there was no
expenditure put on the Fund which was not covered by the
GET-Fund law.
The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS)
last week threatened to close down schools in the three
northern regions if funds for feeding and other essential
materials for the students were not released.
They said they had borrowed enough to feed the students
and could no longer bear the agony.
(Source: Myjoyonline)
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