Upper East Regional Chairman for the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) who doubles as the Headmaster for Zebila Senior High School, Richard Akumbas, has appealed to the Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) George Abradu-Otoo to prioritise locals in the award of food supply contracts to senior high schools in their respective communities.
Mr Akumbas made the appeal during a meeting with Mr Abradu-Otoo, who was on a two-day working visit to some senior high schools in the Upper East Region.
According to Mr Akumbas, giving food supply contracts to people living in communities where the schools are located would serve a dual purpose; “making locals feel part of the development of the schools while also boosting the local economy”.
He noted that over the years, some food suppliers to senior high schools in the region have largely come from outside their jurisdictions — sometimes from as far as the Northern, Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions. Mr Akumbas said the practice of allowing suppliers from outside the region where schools are located does not sit well with him, and stressed that it was time for that to change in favour of local suppliers who are closer to the schools and more invested in their communities.
Beyond the contracts, the CHASS Regional Chairman also drew the NAFCO CEO’s attention to a pressing challenge facing a number of schools in the region; the lack of adequate food storage spaces. He called on the CEO to help address the situation as a matter of urgency.
