Bolgatanga, Sept 7, GNA - Mr Donatus Akamugre, Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) in charge of the Upper East Region, has refuted allegations by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Upper East branch that the programme had not increased from 18 schools to 64 as stated by the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo. He said at a press conference that although the former NPP government piloted the programme in 2005 there were only two schools in each of the districts in the Region that benefited from the programme making it a total of 18 schools in the entire region.

Mr Akamugre said since the National Democratic Congress government assumed office it had increased the number of the schools from 18 to 64. He mentioned the districts where the programme had been expanded as Bolgatanga Municipal, Bongo, Talensi-Nabdam, Garu-Tempane, Builsa, Kassena-Nankana East, Kassena-Nankana West districts, Bawku West and Bawku Municipal.

Mr Akamugre said the Regional Monitoring Officer of the SFP, Mr Solomon Latif of the NPP Government who acted for sometime under the present Government before handing over, stated in a letter the number of schools that were benefiting in 2009 as 64.

He said the Regional Executive of the NPP party should come out with the names of caterers they recruited for the beneficiary schools if indeed 64 benefited from the programme when their government was in office.