They said the system must involve the use of digital tools to monitor the distribution of food from warehouses to schools, adding that by integrating technology, the government could track deliveries in real time and identify any discrepancies.

The residents explained in an interview that without proper checks and balances, some food items might be diverted or sold illegally, depriving students of their right to adequate nutrition, which could undermine the government’s objectives and waste taxpayer funds.

They suggested that involving parents and community leaders in the monitoring process could enhance accountability, as well as holding the school head teachers accountable and conducting regular audits to ensure transparency in the process.

Mr. Courage Agor, a retired teacher, said “They can form local committees who will oversee food deliveries and report irregularities to authorities"

This approach will strengthen community ownership of the initiative. In every school, you find most of the students coming from the town or region the school is situated in, and so if they have their wards in the school, they will want them to eat well.”

Mr. Agor, who taught for over 30 years, added that “civil society organisations, the media, and concerned citizens must also play their roles in exposing any wrongdoing, even investigative journalism, which are powerful tools that can help uncover and prevent acts of corruption.”

Madam Janet Sena Agbozi, a civil servant, said, “The free SHS has faced a lot of challenges for some time now, and now that the government is resolving the issues, we must find ways to close all gaps for the programme's long-term success; we must do all we can to ensure that nobody steals the items.”

“The head teachers must be charged to account for all food items either quarterly or twice a year, some people cannot take advantage of the system at the expense of the taxes everybody in the country pays, it's unfair,” she further stated.

Mr. Mawunyor Aflakpui, a businessman, said, “We all need to be vigilant, and now, technology has advanced so much that it'll be easy to monitor to ensure transparency; the government only has to put the right measures in place because the government is trying its best, while some are also putting their personal first.” He said

“They should engage with national security to secretly spy on what goes on in terms of feeding; people found stealing the food meant for the students must be sacked immediately.”

Ms. Juliana Tawaiah, a trader, stated, “First of all, Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) must be brought back, and parents must be allowed to pay the feeding fee of their wards.

The students must be asked to be vigilant; now we see the things they're able to post on social media even though they are not supposed to use phones.

Involving parents, school authorities, and even the students would ensure that the food items supplied to the schools will not be mismanaged.”