Seven assembly members have petitioned the presidency and Parliament to investigate what they suspect to be a case of fraud and criminality that have dogged the school feeding program in the Upper East Region.

The assembly members allege that two women, Gladys Fumira Laari and Atiiga Paulina have been paid a whopping 229,000 cedis to cook for pupils in five schools in the Garu Tempane District of the Upper East region but they failed to cook.

The members do not understand why the women will pocket such a huge sum and not do the work for which they have been paid.

Joy News' Joseph Ackah-Blay read a copy of the petition which cites the DCE of the area, Albert Akuka Alazuga as being part of the fraud.

The petitioners according to Ackah-Blay have attached to the petition, copies of payment receipts made to the two caterers for the 2014/15 Academic year.

When the residents heard about the alleged payments they started agitating, an action which forced the DCE to appoint five other caterers to start cooking for the pupils. These new caterers were paid another sum to cook for the kids, Joy News has learnt.

The Local Government Ministry has ordered investigations into the matter. The Minister  has directed the Regional Coordinating Council to submit a report to the ministry after the investigations.

But the Ranking member on the Local Government Committee of Parliament, Kwasi Ameyaw Kyeremeh is not happy with the action taken by the Ministry. He is accusing the ministry of attempting to cover up the rot.

"This is a very serious allegation. It bothers on crime. If it is a criminal matter, then it doesn't lie within the purview of the regional coordinating council to go into the matter. What are they going to look for. Monies have been paid, monies have been received. The people admit that the receive the money for no work done.

"...The appropriate quarters is for the police or the BNI to go into the matter. They have taken it too lightly and i am not comfortable with it.

He said it is better for the matter to be investigated thoroughly to become a lesson for all.

"You can't be receiving money continuously for a year and think it is normal and the ministry think it is normal," he said.