The Ministry of Education (MoE) will take delivery of 600 bags of maize from the National Service Scheme (NSS) for the feeding of the Senior High School (SHS) students.
The stock of maize being supplied is part of the maiden harvest from the NSS farms under the Sekyere -Kumawu Economic Enclave Project (SKEEP).
Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister for Education, announced this when he led a team from the Ministry to tour the SKEEP sites and to have first-hand information and acquaint themselves with the project.
The team first inspected the warehouse for the storage of maize and other crops.
He described the initiative as very encouraging since it would go a long way to reduce the cost of procuring maize to feed the students.
The Education Minister noted that the collaboration between MOE and the NSS would help create a ready market for the SKEEP.
He highly commended the NSS Board and Management for the great strides and applauded the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Osei -Assibey Antwi, for his good leadership as well as his vision to make good use of the NSS personnel to boost food production in the country.
The Education Minister was very impressed with the state of development at the project site and recommended the establishment of an Agricultural town (i.e. hostels for service personnel, apartments for workers as well as lecturers, basic school, clinic, lecture hall or training hall, technology centre etc ) around the SKEEP enclave so that the farmers and other staff would have all the needed facilities as they continue working on their farms.
“This is the beginning of something great. I would like to applaud my brother for his great leadership. This gives a window of opportunity into the future for this great future of ours”, He stressed.
Dr. Adutwum stated that, NSS had shown the way for President Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo’s agenda of Planting for Food and Jobs that would create an opportunity for the commencement of school farms which was in line with what the NSS was doing.
He indicated that, the Ministry would also arrange for tertiary students to use the SKEEP as a learning avenue for their practical lessons to promote effective management of teaching and learning so that they could master whatever they were taught at school.
The Education Minister stated that, the SKEEP initiative was not just for the training of graduates to become professional farmers but also to help in the production of food for the Free SHS programme and school feeding at the Basic level.
“I am waiting for a day when the universities would establish a branch around the SKEEP farm so that their students could go and do one year practice”. And this can be replicated at other project sites nationwide,” the Minister emphasized.
Dr. Adutwum appealed to the staff of the SKEEP project to ensure that their children were supported to go to school so that they could shape their future dreams and aspirations.
Mr. Osei Assibey, on his part, assured the Minister of the Scheme’s readiness to continue working hard to support the nation’s transformation agenda through collaboration with all stakeholders.
He stated that, as an agency under the Education Ministry, it would continue to put in prudent measures to enhance the development of the education sector as well as other facets of the nation’s economy.
Mr. Osei -Assibey pledged to collaborate with all stakeholders to put in place the right measures that could promote the growth and development of the country.
The CEO lauded the government for his support through the Ghana cares programme, which would go a long way towards enhancing the SKEEP initiative.
Whilst congratulating the Minister for Education and his team for the visit, he also extended another congratulations to the Minister for Food and Agriculture (MoFA) for embracing the project and promising technical support from the Ministry as well as directing the Agric Directors in the Sekyere Kumawu, Afram Plains and Asante Akim North Municipalities to contribute towards the success of the SKEEP.
By Felix Baidoo
