A youth group in the Northern Region, the Progressive Youth Alliance, has threatened a massive demonstration against the Mahama led administration if it does not immediately pay the feeding grants of students in schools in the north.
Heads of second cycle institutions in the three northern regions have sent students home indefinitely supposedly due to the non-payment of feeding grants by government.
Some of the headteachers have said government’s failure to reimburse the outstanding feeding grants for three terms necessitated the action.
In a Citi News interview, a leader of the group, Latif Solomon indicated that his group and many others will carry out the threat of the demonstration if government does not pay the grant money by Friday, June 17.
According to Mr. Solomon, “On Friday we are coming out, that is if the government fails to yield to our cry. Then we have to advise ourselves… I can tell you people are willing to come on the streets. Students who are affected are willing to come on the streets. Youth groups within the region, outside the region are also willing to come on the streets.”
Government promised to settle arrears
He recounted the fact that concerns with the feeding grant arrears surfaced before the school term begun and government, well aware of the situation, assured the schools they were going to settle the arrears.
“Government intervened by issuing a letter that advising the headmasters in various schools within the northern sector that they should open the schools and that they were going to fix it immediately.”
Mr. Solomon however noted that it has been over four months since government’s assurance and the arrears have still not been settled.
“They were managing with their gari and shito waiting for the government to intervene. Suppliers from the various schools were being begged and advised to continue supplying so that government will intervene. I can tell you that it has been almost four and a half months now,” he lamented.
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