War Brews Over School Feeding As Gov't Meddles

The Adenta Municipal Assembly may soon be dragged to court to face the full rigors of the law for purportedly terminating the contract of one Madam Obaa Yaa Manu as a caterer under the School Feeding Programme for the community. This decision is in response to a letter dated 14th August 2009 intercepted by this paper and signed the MCE, Nubyl Kakra Vanlare, terminating the contract awarded Madam Obaa Yaa Manu. According to the MCE, the contract was for a period of 3 years and therefore the Assembly was relieving her off her duties even before contract comes to end. She has therefore been asked to hand over cooking utensils, plates, cups and any other items that were supplied to her by the School Feeding Secretariat to the Assembly. However, in a strongly worded letter dated 25th August 2009 and signed by K-Archy & CO solicitors for Madam Obaa Yaa Manu, they advised the Assembly to be careful as their client reserves the right to resort to any legal forum for the vindication of her rights if any further attempts are made at violating the same.

According to the solicitors the contract was awarded their client by Ghana School Feeding Programme as per a letter dated 24th November, 2006 and not the Adenta Municipal Assembly. "We are instructed to say that you have no authority or at all terminate a contract which you did not award," the letter noted. It continues that "we have our client's instructions to state also that assuming but not admitting that the contract was for three years as alleged in your said letter, it would be unlawful, wrongful and a breach of contract for same to be prematurely terminated for no reasonable cause or justification".

"We are instructed to state that it is only by 'lawful authority and for reasonable cause that her contract may be terminated, and since you have none, she considers the contract as pending". It ended by saying that she will accordingly continue to perform her obligations under the contract as per the terms of the contract award.