Buffer Stock Allays Fears Of School Closures

The National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) has ward off fears of imminent closure of public senior high schools over food supplies.

The company says it has stepped up mechanisms to ensure prompt delivery of food commodities in adequately quantities to cater for all three streams of students should the First Year students move to various campuses towards the end of the month.

The assurance by NAFCO is in response to a press statement by three teacher unions on Wednesday expressing fear second cycle institutions could be compelled to close down if the food supply situation does not improve by next week.

The National Association of Graduate Teachers ( NAGRAT), Coalition of Conerned Teachers Ghana ( CCT-Gh ) and the Ghana National Association of Teachers ( GNAT) have said the delay in food supplies was hampering academic work and administration of schools and gave 19th March deadline for an improvement to be recorded.

But Spokesperson for Buffer Stock, a Senior Manager Manager incharge of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Emmanuel Arthur in series of monitored radio and television interviews in Ashanti, Central and Greater Accra Regions described the concerns by the teacher unions as genuine and assured everything possible is being to avert any eventuality.

In an earlier statement in reaction to the teacher unions’ concerns, Buffer Stock said ” We acknowledge that there has been genuine challenges relating to the supply of some specific food commodities, and wish to assure that frantic efforts have been underway to address the concerns raised, particularly in ensuring adequate and regular supply of food to the schools”.

NAFCO have been the supplier of food to public senior high schools since the inception of the government’s free senior high school programme without any incident and Mr Arthur argues that the company is bent on keeping that good track record.