The Upper East Regional Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, Fawzia Yakubu Abagnamah, has firmly denied allegations that she personally awarded herself contracts as a caterer for several schools in the region. Describing the claims as “palpable lies,” Madam Fawzia insisted that the allegations were orchestrated by her political detractors who, in her words, “want to run me down.”
Speaking in an interview with A1 Radio, she clarified that the selection of caterers in the region was done strictly according to a national directive and based on guidelines from the School Feeding Programme’s headquarters in Accra.
“I received a directive from my national boss on how we are going to select caterers across the country. The criteria that we used were to communicate to the various MDCEs and the MPs on how we were supposed to do it. So, after a week or two, I started receiving names from the various districts of the various caterers. So, that was how we selected caterers from the region. It wasn’t selective; the process was open to all,” she emphasized.
Madam Fawzia also debunked claims that she controls multiple catering contracts, describing them as politically motivated fabrications with no basis.
“These allegations that I am sitting in the office here and I own 10 schools, 5 schools, they are all lies. They are just this normal political thing that people who feel you are not supposed to be here want to run me down. And to be very honest, I will be the last person to play that role because I took this position for my women. So, if as an individual I control 10 schools in one district, what happens to the women in that district? How do I even coordinate them? How do I control them? It’s not easy managing one or two schools,” she stressed.
She said her administration has prioritized transparency, ensuring that caterers were selected based on merit, financial capacity, health certification, and relevant catering experience. Madam Fawzia indicated that women were given priority during the selection process, aligning with the programme’s broader aim to empower women economically.
A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Bolgatanga
