President John Mahama says his government has swiftly introduced short-term measures to combat food shortages in secondary schools across the country.

Speaking after the swearing-in of the first set of ministers of state at the Jubilee House on Wednesday, January 22, the President revealed, "We have put in short-term measures to ensure that our children have adequate food, so they can go ahead with their learning."

The President emphasised that these short-term solutions are essential while his government continues to explore long-term strategies to resolve the issue completely.

“These are short-term measures and will help keep our children in school as we strategise on streamlining the supply of food to schools,” he said.

He also highlighted the significant debts left by the previous government in the education sector, which his administration is now working to settle. “We are preparing to pay off the arrears owed to schools, some of which date back as far as 2021,” he added.

The food shortage issue was first raised by the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) earlier in the month when schools resumed.

CHASS had reported that, due to the insufficient food supply and the failure of the previous government to pay the feeding fees for secondary schools, parents were advised to provide food for their children when sending them to school.

Earlier, the President had pledged his commitment to resolving the issue, ensuring that students can attend school without facing such challenges.