Minister�s Order Crashes Out

Details are now emerging on how Metropolitan and Municipal District Chief Executives (MMDCE�s) made nonsense of a directive from the Minister of Local Government, Hon Joseph Yieleh Chireh, directing them (MMDCE�s) to prepare new contracts with caterers currently employed under the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP). In an open display of rebellion, the MMDCE�s with the support of some powerful forces within government crumpled the minister�s directive, threw it in the dust bin and gave new contracts to new caterers, hence, the confusion that characterized the programme when school reopened. Per a letter dated 17th August this year, Hon Yieleh Chireh ordered the MMDCE�s to set aside an earlier letter dated 27th July, 2009 in which the Minister directed them to prepare contracts with new caterers whose names had already been submitted to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for consideration. �Following other developments, you are directed to set the letter aside and prepare new contracts with caterers currently employed on the GSFP�, the 17th August directive read in part. According to the directive, four copies of the new contract with the old caterers were to be distributed as follows: one copy to the MMDA, a copy to the relevant caterer and two copies to be referred to the Ministry of Local Government and the GSFP Secretariat. Checks by the Crusading Guide, have however established that no such new contracts have been prepared by the MMDCE�s talk less of the copies to be distributed, yet the MMDCE�s have awarded new contracts to new caterers. If this directive from the Local Government was not ignored, the confusions that hit the programme would not have occurred. �This MMDA�s ignored the directive from the ministry and awarded contracts to the new caterers to cook for the children whiles the contract period between GSFP and the old caterers had not elapsed�, a source said. Another source from the Ministry of Local Government who spoke to newsmen on conditions of anonymity said �we are aware of a grand machination by some elements in government to sabotage the minister�.