Concerns have been raised over allegations that Hassan Karfo, a school feeding monitor assigned to Pujehun District, diverted and sold rice intended for the district’s school feeding programme.
The allegations have prompted calls from some school authorities and community members for a thorough investigation into the management and distribution of school feeding supplies to ensure that food intended for pupils reaches its intended beneficiaries.
The school feeding programme is designed to support school attendance and retention, particularly among children in rural and vulnerable communities, by helping to reduce barriers to education through the provision of meals.
According to information received by this newspaper, Karfo allegedly visited a school in Pujehun District and requested bags of rice from the school administration. The authorities reportedly complied, after which the rice was allegedly taken away and sold.
Further allegations suggest that similar requests may have been made at other schools, with some head teachers reportedly facing pressure to hand over bags of rice intended for the school feeding programme for purposes unrelated to its objectives.
Some school authorities have expressed concern over what they described as repeated pressure surrounding the management of school feeding supplies. They warned that, if substantiated, such practices could undermine the programme’s implementation and deprive pupils of meals intended to support their education.
The allegations have reportedly led some head teachers and concerned individuals to call for an independent investigation into Karfo’s conduct and the management of school feeding commodities across the district.
Information received by this newspaper also suggests that officials responsible for addressing the complaints subsequently travelled to Pujehun to investigate the matter. However, Karfo allegedly declined to engage directly with the officials, reportedly indicating that any concerns about his conduct should be formally communicated to him by email. The circumstances surrounding this alleged refusal to engage remain unclear.
This newspaper made several attempts to obtain Karfo’s response by telephone and WhatsApp and also sought a face-to-face meeting with him regarding the allegations. However, he did not provide a detailed response to the specific claims that he had removed and sold school feeding rice or pressured school authorities to hand over supplies.
According to the reporter, Karfo indicated that he did not consider the matter serious enough to warrant the level of concern being expressed.
The allegations have not been independently verified, and the relevant authorities have yet to publicly establish whether any wrongdoing occurred. An investigation would be necessary to determine the facts and establish whether school feeding supplies were improperly diverted.