North East Regional Minister Tia Ibrahim has called on women organisers of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) serving as caterers under the School Feeding Programme to ensure that schoolchildren across the region receive nutritious and high-quality meals.
The minister’s remarks came during a gathering held on Tuesday, 8 April 2025, at the North East Regional Coordinating Council in Nalerigu. The event marked the official welcome of Sumaya Ligbi, Regional Women’s Organiser of the NDC, as the new Regional School Feeding Coordinator. Ligbi will serve a four-year term in her new role.
In his address, Tia Ibrahim highlighted the critical role of school meals in supporting the health and development of pupils at the basic school level. He urged the caterers to prepare meals with honesty, care, and adherence to nutritional standards.
“Let us give the schoolchildren quality food so that they will feel the difference,” he said. “When you are given a responsibility and you carry it out well, know that God is watching. Those who benefit will speak well of you, and the reward will go beyond this world.”
He encouraged the caterers to view the pupils not as distant beneficiaries of a government programme, but as children deserving of the same care and attention as their own.
“Whatever we are going to do as mothers, let us prepare the food with the mindset that we are feeding our own children,” he said. “When we do that, the pupils will speak to their parents about the quality of food they receive at school.”
The minister added that such feedback from pupils to their families could strengthen public confidence in the party’s leadership and governance. He suggested that positive experiences shared by parents within communities could have a lasting impact, potentially shaping voter sentiment ahead of future elections.
“By 2028, when we return to these communities, there may not even be a need for much campaigning—these parents will campaign for us,” he said.
Tia Ibrahim also underscored the importance of improving the overall management of the School Feeding Programme, stressing the need to build upon and surpass the accomplishments of previous administrations.
