The Ghana Education Trust Fund has released GHS199.47 million to senior high school heads to settle outstanding feeding arrears under the Free SHS programme, easing weeks of tension over delayed payments.
The disbursement follows an emergency stakeholder meeting convened by the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, which brought together the GETFund Administrator, Paul Adjei, leadership of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools, and the Conference of Principals of Technical Institutions.
The meeting was prompted by growing concerns over unpaid bills for perishable food supplies, which had triggered threats of possible shutdowns in affected schools.
While earlier media reports suggested a deadlock stemming from a disagreement between the Minister and the GETFund Administrator, sources familiar with the discussions have clarified that no such confrontation occurred.
According to insiders, Mr. Adjei did not oppose the Minister’s directive but rather provided clarity on GETFund’s statutory mandate within the current governance and procurement framework.
The Minister had proposed that funds be released directly to schools to allow them procure perishable items independently.
In response, the Administrator explained that under the existing commitment authorisation structure, procurement responsibilities remain within GETFund’s remit, not external bodies such as the Ghana Education Service.
He cautioned that deviating from this framework could undermine established administrative and governance protocols.
Despite these procedural concerns, the Fund has proceeded with the release of GHS199.47 million directly to school heads to facilitate the immediate purchase of perishable food items.
Further details reveal that the payment process experienced significant delays.
A request from the Ministry of Education to GETFund was dated April 10, 2026. However, a prior memo seeking approval from the Free SHS Secretariat was tabled before the Minister as far back as January 2026.
The latest disbursement is expected to stabilise feeding operations across senior high and technical institutions, averting disruptions to academic activities.
