THE DISMISSAL spree embarked on by the Mills administration seems to be in full force, with no end in sight. Less than a week after the head of the National School Feeding Programme, Mr. Michael Nsowah, was sacked without cause, three other deputies at the same department have been fired.
Information reaching DAILY GUIDE indicates that Prof. Yaw Amoateng, Director for Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Solomon Donkor, Director of Finance and Administration, and Mrs. Mary Ansong, Director-In-Charge of Operations, were on Thursday asked to vacate their offices without delay.
Hon. Yileh Chireh, Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, who confirmed the action, said he would neither explain nor give any details.
His deputy, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, however said it was part of an on-going restructuring exercise aimed at ‘stopping unscrupulous persons from abusing the programme’.
In a related development, the Ashanti Regional administration of the school feeding programme has warned that caterers who continue to cook for schools, against the court injunction placed on them, do so at their own risk.
The PRO of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council, Ernest Brogya Genfi, said caterers who go ahead to cook can be cited for contempt.
Michael Nsowah, who had a contract running until July 2010, was handed his dismissal letter last Friday with no reason attached.
The sector minister said he was not the only person capable of doing the job. He however failed to state why an already capable person was being removed.
Mr. Nsowah nevertheless promised to leave a comprehensive handing-over note to his successor, which when followed will ensure the smooth implementation of the programme.
The government is yet to appoint Nsowah’s successor, but there is already intense tension between new and old caterers over who has the right to prepare food for children in the programme.
Michael Nsowah, the one-time Ghana Education Service boss, said he has no interest in contesting the government’s decision.
By Bennett Akuaku