Revealed: Why Adwoa Safo fired School Feeding programme boss

• Sara Adwoa Safo fired Gertrude Quashiga only to reinstate her later

• A document sighted by GhanaWeb shows that the dismissal might be due to Gertrude Quashiga’s lack of cooperation in an auditing exercise

• Meanwhile, a member of the NPP is unhappy with the reinstatement of Gertrude Quashiga

GhanaWeb has obtained a document that gives an insight into why Sarah Adwoa Safo, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, decided to terminate the contract of Gertrude Quashiga, the coordinator of the National School Feeding Programme.

Gertrude Quashiga was last week fired by Adwoa Safo only to be reinstated citing ‘administrative error’.

In a letter dated April 5, 2021, and intercepted by GhanaWeb, Sara Adwoa Safo raises concerns about the lack of co-operation from Gertrude Quashiga in an ongoing audit of payments to caterers under the school feeding programme.

The Gender Minister subsequently ordered Gertrude Quashiga to immediately furnish the auditors with all relevant documents and co-operate with the auditors.

“It has come to my notice that your office has been uncooperative and not forthcoming with the submission of relevant documents to support all payments made to caterers in all the regions and districts for the 2017 to 2020 academic year.”

“I am by this letter, requesting you to submit same to our team of auditors before May 14, 2021,” excerpts of the letter read.

The firing and reinstatement of Gertrude Quashiga came few weeks after the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service commenced investigations into alleged corruption in the implementation of the programme.

The CID in a statement said it was investigating fifty-three schools in the Ashanti Region for some infractions in the implementation of the programme.

Some of the schools are; Afia Serwaa Kobi Ampem SHS, Adu Gyamfi SHS, Kumasi Anglican, Kumasi Girls, Kumasi Wesley Girls, KNUST SHS and Opoku Ware SHS.

Others are; Osei Tutu SHS, Prempeh College, Kumasi Academy, Kumasi Technical Institute.