KNUST SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMME

KNUST SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMME
… SRC BEST INNOVATION SO FAR?
This year’s SRC week celebrations saw a lot of innovations that still keep fascinating and at the same time irritating a number of level headed students around. It was the first time SRC Week was celebrated concurrently with a hall’s week celebration. It was the first time, a girlfriend of the SRC president was actively involved in the planning and execution of all activities embodied in the programme. I think an amendment should be made, so that our constitution will recognise the office of the first lady. One particular activity that has kept my mouth agape and my fingers still scratching my head is what our very smart SRC decided to name ‘SRC FOOD BAZAAR’.
According to the Encarta dictionary, ‘BAZAAR’ means sales of goods to raise money for charity, often held outdoors. So who was fooling who, when the SRC promised to organise a food bazaar and ended up organising a school feeding programme? Whose idea was it? What rationale was behind such an event? What if even half of the student populace had decided to attend that event? Was there any sinister motive behind the scenes? Until some of these questions are answered in good faith, some of us can only bow our heads in shame and disappointment as we take our last steps out of KNUST.
The Yaw Oduro led administration had all the power and the goodwill to organise a food bazaar, which could have even brought few coins into the SRC coffers. It is just a matter of inviting food vendors to converge at the Royal Parade grounds and selling their products at subsidised prices. People will still patronise it. Even if the people in charge did not have a fair idea of what a food bazaar is, they could have thought of other ways to feed students, not necessarily with physical foods. SOCIOSO’s ‘AFTER SCHOOL, WHAT NEXT’ program is a very good example the SRC could have copied. It would have even helped salvage the dwindling reputation of the SRC.
The idea itself was ill-conceived and the programme itself was bizarre. Was it a deliberate agenda to create the atmosphere for students to fight over the food provided so that the illicit dealings of the organisers will be covered? Was it some KNUST students who are still unrefined after spending some time in a university like ours? It is alleged that some ‘gentlemen’ of our noble institution were picking ‘kelewele’ right from the oil. Food was spilled on the floor and people kicked the butts of each other just to have sips of the soft drinks served around there. The undeniable truth about this shameful incident was that it was a deliberate plot by the student powers that be to cover up certain dishonest activities that will come up very soon. Secondly, some students still remain unrefined despite the numerous avenues that abound for the polishing of the brutish lives that we once lived.
Sadly enough, individuals and groups which are seen as watchdogs of students politics were either in full support or totally quiet over the whole debacle of a food bazaar. Was it that, their palms were greased or they were busily enjoying the huge consignments of food and drink that was smuggled glaringly to them. Are they now selling their reputation for pittance or they are now showing their long-hidden selfish desires?
If we want to rattle about these irrational decisions by some of our student leaders, we will grow grey hair without knowing it. However, let the younger generation learn from the folly of the older generation. Let upcoming leaders think outside the box and implement prudent and rational policies. Also, whoever the organisers of the SRC SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMME were, they should with all the humility in them, go to the executives of the AGRIC STUDENTS ASSOCIATION. They organised a real food bazaar recently. It will help some of them pick few lessons so that they will not make laughing signposts of themselves when they move out of school.
Lastly, all these incidents we are witnessing just suggest to us that people should have some level of experience before been put in some positions. The truth is always painful but it must be said.

Courage Ahiati.
Couragesdiary.blogspot.com
courageislove@gmail.com