The School Feeding Caterers Association is calling on President John Dramani Mahama to intervene and overturn a recent directive that abruptly ends their contracts, describing the decision as a breach of trust and a blow to their livelihoods.

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The appeal follows a directive issued by the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) in a letter dated May 2, 2025, which announced the immediate cancellation of all catering contracts under the programme. The directive also instructed that no caterer should provide meals for the third term of the 2024/2025 academic year.

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Speaking during an interview on Channel One Newsroom on Friday, May 2, the Association’s President, Nana Otu Sakyi-Amo, voiced strong disapproval of the directive, noting that it has left many caterers facing severe financial strain with only a few days to the reopening of schools.

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“We are still pleading with the president, we are all crying to the president to cancel this immediate termination of our contract,” she appealed. “We know that we have a contract up to August, and this is sudden news to us.”

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She revealed that most caterers had already stocked up on food items in anticipation of the upcoming school term, set to begin on Tuesday, and were shocked by the sudden notice.

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“We have bought our foodstuff, and school is reopening next week on Tuesday. We have prepared ourselves… We just heard they have cancelled our contracts just like that,” she said with concern.

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Sakyi-Amo further accused the government of going against pledges made to caterers during the campaign season, including commitments to expand and strengthen the school feeding programme.

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“This is not the promise he [Mahama] gave to school feeding caterers,” she said. “He promised that when he comes, he will put things in place, he will increase feeding grants, which he has done, and make sure caterers are well taken care of. I don’t think he promised to put us into debt.”

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The Association is urging an immediate reversal of the termination directive, warning that the move not only threatens their financial stability but could also interrupt the provision of meals to thousands of schoolchildren across the country.

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