Mampamhwe (Ash), March 3, GNA - Headteachers and teachers in schools selected for the NEPAD School Feeding Programme have been urged to avoid the temptation of colluding with community members to abuse the scheme.

Mr Joseph K Onyinah, Obuasi Municipal Director of Education, who gave the advice at the launch of the programme at Gyiniso-Kakraba and Mampamhwe on Wednesday, also warned the teachers against "hijacking" the feeding programme in their schools.

"I will appeal to the heads and teachers not to hijack the programme in any way. As a matter of principle, teachers should not only take interest in getting their pupils served, but should also see to it that all pupils in school are served", Mr Onyinah stressed. Under the programme, each primary school child in the selected schools would be provided with a decent, nutritious and well-balanced meal a day on each school attendance.

Mr Onyinah asked opinion leaders in the communities to avoid sending bowls from the houses to the schools to collect the meals for their absentee wards or children.

Launching the programme in the two communities, which also coincided with the inauguration of the programme's schools implementation committees, Mr Joseph Kwadwo Boampong, Municipal Chief Executive, urged the people to take active interest in the education of their children.

Mr Boampong announced that under the programme a canteen, a storage facility and a kitchen would be built in the communities to promote its success.

The Municipal Chief Executive said in addition the pupils would be served with good drinking water and appealed to the community members to assist in making the feeding programme efficient and successful. Dr Samuel Osei-Somuah, Municipal Director of Health Services, noted that the programme offered great opportunities for the quest for better health for the pupils.

He announced that his outfit in collaboration with the Assembly and the Ghana Education Service (GES) would help address all health-related problems facing the pupils so that the feeding programme could help boost their health status. Nana Asirifi Asare II, Presiding Member, advised the teachers against introducing any fees to defeat the purpose of the feeding programme.