GAWU Urges Public Monitoring of Mahama’s Directive on Local Food Purchases by Schools
The General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) is calling on Ghanaians to take an active role in monitoring President John Dramani Mahama’s directive requiring all Basic and Senior High Schools to procure locally produced rice, maize, chicken and eggs.
Speaking in an interview on Saturday, December 6, the General Secretary of GAWU, Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe, said strict oversight is needed to ensure compliance, adding that the union has already instructed its members across the country to track implementation of the policy.
He commended President Mahama for the initiative, describing it as a critical step toward reducing Ghana’s dependence on imported food and safeguarding foreign exchange. He also highlighted the health and economic risks that arise when the domestic market is flooded with imported food products.
According to Mr Tagoe, the directive goes beyond educational institutions and applies to other government-funded bodies, including the School Feeding Programme, the Ghana Prisons Service, the Ghana Police Service and other state-supported initiatives that procure food using public funds.
He maintained that citizen participation is essential for the success of the policy, which aligns with GAWU’s long-standing campaign promoting the consumption of made-in-Ghana foods.
“This has been our call for a very long time. We import too much into our country, especially food products. There are health and dollar implications. Things that can be produced in Ghana should come from Ghanaian farmers. The President is instructing all consumers of government-funded food to buy locally, and we should all monitor this directive,” he said.
Mr Tagoe also welcomed the government’s GH¢200 million allocation to address the recent food glut, describing the intervention as timely. He noted that post-harvest losses remain a major driver of farmer poverty and expressed optimism that the support would help reduce waste and improve incomes within the agriculture value chain.
