The Education Ministry has dismissed suggestions that its release of funds to cater for feeding of teacher trainees was a knee-jerk response to a directive by the National Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education (PRINCOF).

Kwasi Kwarteng said the Ministry had already initiated processes to release funds to Colleges of Education to cater for the feeding of teacher trainees before PRINCOF issued its statement.

https://www.myjoyonline.com/teacher-trainees-to-feed-themselves-starting-may-8/

Speaking on Top Story, Wednesday, he stated that the government only had to fast-track the processes to resolve the situation.

“Obviously, if you look at payment processes it is not an event and it is not possible for you to initiate a payment process from the Ministry of Finance to Controller for all these processes to happen in a day…Obviously, the process was already in the pipeline,” he told Evans Mensah in an interview.

He stressed that the release of the funds was not a mere coincidence to PRINCOF’s statement as purported.

He however admitted that the processes in the disbursement of the funds to the Colleges of Education were delayed.

https://www.myjoyonline.com/rationing-food-to-us-will-pose-a-national-security-threat-teacher-trainees/

According to Mr Kwarteng, the GH¢67m released is to settle the arrears for the 2020-2021 academic year.

“The entire academic year, we were to pay an amount of GH₵117,942, 652. Last year December, an amount of ¢50m was made. That is in respect of the 2020-2021 academic year.

"So the balance left or the arrears was ¢67,942,652 which is what has been released today. So it settles the arrears for the 2020-2021 academic year,” he added.

Government, through the Ministry of Education, on Wednesday announced that an amount of ¢67,942,652 has been released to the Colleges of Education to cater for the feeding of teacher trainees.

This was disclosed by the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum in a press conference on Wednesday.

https://www.myjoyonline.com/government-releases-%e2%82%b567m-to-cater-for-feeding-of-teacher-trainees/

The intervention follows the announcement by the Principals of Colleges of Education which directed that Teacher Trainees will begin feeding themselves from May 8, due to non-payment of feeding grants.

“I am very happy today to inform you that government has released ¢67,942,652 to Colleges of Education. I know you may have read the media reports, there were many calls on us to respond to the concerns of PRINCOF and we want to take advantage of your presence here to make the country know that the President, the Finance Minister and all those who are to ensure that various promises made to Colleges of Education are carried through, have delivered on their promise and that is why once again, this amount has been released to colleges of Education,” the Education Minister announced.