Government is spending GH₵2 million a day on the hot meals being provided for Ghanaians in the lockdown areas in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Communications Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has revealed.
According to him, the state spends GH₵5 on each pack of food to feed over 400,000 under the social intervention program.
Speaking on Accra-based radio station, Starr FM, Mr Ayisi however said he favours a situation where people would be given dry meals to cook by themselves.
“We are spending 2 million a day on the hot meals we are providing and it is not one person alone preparing the meal. It is spread across many people,” he said.
On the disregard for social distancing during the distribution of the food, Mr Ayisi said he was yet to come across any of the videos suggesting that people were scrambling for the food.
”I’m yet to see the video of masses receiving food. NADMO officials have however been instructed to go by the social distance protocols.
“The thing is before we go there, the crowd is gathered and they think the food is going to get finished but we have enough,” he said.
Some Ghanaians have taken to social media to express concerns over the manner in which government is distributing food to the vulnerable in the lockdown areas. Videos on social media have shown crowds gather in queues for food and other items.
The Coalition of NGOs in Health has appealed to government to make use of the social workers in its social intervention provisions in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic in Ghana.
According to the Chairman of the coalition, Gabriel Banaku, social workers will have better ways of managing social interventions and will not allow crowds to gather in the distribution of food.