The National Food Suppliers Association is appealing to President Akufo-Addo to intervene in the management of the Free Senior High School (SHS) and save it from failing.

This spokesperson of the Association, Kwaku Amedenu, said although his outfit plays a crucial role in ensuring the success of the project, they have not been paid for 18 months.

According to him, this can derail the project as most of the suppliers were in debt and therefore might be unable to supply commodities to the schools when they resume.

“We want to appeal to the Minister of Education, we appeal to the President, Akufo-Addo, it is a policy that he cherishes so much. It is a policy that he goes out to pride himself of, that he has brought to the people of Ghana. Let the free SHS be a blessing to the people of Ghana.

“Don’t let free SHS rather collapse the businesses of the suppliers to the disadvantage of the sustainability of the free SHS policy,” he said.

Speaking on the Pulse on JoyNews, he accused the National Buffer Stock Company which contracted the association, of deliberately delaying payments because when it receives part of the expected amount it uses its discretion in paying suppliers.

Again, Mr Amedenu justified this claim with the assertion that the Education Minister had confirmed that 90 % of the 2022 arrears has been paid to the Buffer Stock Company.

“If the Minister who is responsible for releasing funds was categorical in telling us that he had paid 2022 delivery or funding or arrears to Buffer Stock and that the money left is about 10%, the money hasn’t been paid to us. But the Minister himself is telling us that he has released the money to Buffer Stock.

“We know Buffer Stock has paid some people. We have people who were paid 5% of the total amount they were owed. I have a woman who has supplied to the tune of GH ¢ 21 million and was paid GH ¢ 500,000. That is what we are talking about. That the discretion was abused. That explains why the 90 % didn’t get to us,” he told host, Blessed Sogah on Thursday.

In responding to the claims, the Chief Executive Officer of the Buffer Stock Company, Hanan Adul-Wahab, said on May 4, 2022, the Minister wrote to the Finance Ministry to demand the release of an outstanding claim of over GH¢ 27 million for the payment of some validated arrears.

He stressed that no monies have been released adding that the Buffer Stock has not paid any supplier.

Again, he denied allegations that they owed the suppliers 18 months of arrears.

Nevertheless, he did not deny that indeed his outfit owed suppliers, and asked that they exercise a bit more patience as he was working tirelessly to pay up the arrears.

Also, Mr Amedenu added that suppliers are scheduled to meet the Education Minister on Friday, May 26, to negotiate on terms of payment.