The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is calling for a non-partisan approach to the distribution of food items currently being undertaken by the Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Protection.
According to the Constituency Chairman for Ayawaso West Wuguon, this can be done by assigning the District, Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies to the exercise.
In a statement signed by Bismark Aborbi-Ayitey, eliminating the partisan approach to the exercise will ensure fairness and equitable distribution of these food items to the poor and vulnerable in the various areas under lockdown.
President Akufo-Addo in a national address on Friday, April 3, 2020, said some 400,000 individuals and homes in the affected areas of the restrictions will be catered for by the government.
According to the President, the Ministries of Gender, Children and Social Protection and Local Government and Rural Development, and the National Disaster Management Organisation will be working with MMDCEs and faith-based organisations to get this done.
But the Constituency chairman believes this approach has rather left many unattended to. He believes the food items should be distributed at designated Polling Stations of the Electoral Areas within the lockdown jurisdictions, where individuals with their Voter ID cards can report daily.
This, according to him will ensure that all affected Ghanaians will benefit from the ¢280 million that will go into food packages and hot meals and the additional ¢40 million going to the National Buffer Stock Company as indicated by the country’s Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
PRESS RELEASE
April 9, 2020
PARTISANSHIP MUST NOT UNDERLINE GOVERNMENT'S FOOD DISTRIBUTION TO THE NEEDY
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent decision by the Government to feed the needy in our societies, I write to express dissatisfaction about the conduct of the presiding Ministry, Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Protection in the matter.
To say that majority of the needy are out there without any effort to reach them by the Ministry and its assigns with food items is an understatement.
The entire food distribution process appears taken over by a political party and having its assigns most of whom are Parliamentary aspirants taking charge of the distribution and seemingly taking the food items to only places of interest to them.
The period in which we are, politics or partisanship must be relegated to the background, caring more about the survival and welfare of the people.
I wish to suggest that the District/Municipal/Metropolitan Assemblies in the lockdown areas must be made to take charge of the distribution of the food items as they also work in tandem with the Assembly Men/Women of the areas, ensuring also that the WHO COVID-19 protocols are complied with.
And to eliminate the partisanship and to ensure fairness and equitable distribution, the food items should be distributed at designated Polling Stations of the Electoral Areas within the lockdown jurisdictions, where individuals with their Voter ID cards could step out to the Polling Stations to pick their food items.
I wish to also add that it is better and safer in these times of the crises to have unprepared or raw food items distributed to the people for them to go and cook rather than providing them with cooked foods some of which may go cold by the time of consumption which is also not healthy around this time.
Thank you
Bismark Aborbi-Ayitey
Ayawaso West Wougon Constituency Chair, NDC
0244127969
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