News
Booming food delivery services and matters arising
What would be your reaction if the food you have ordered is delivered to another person at a different location or it arrives cold in a less attractive package than you expect?
Well, these are some of the ‘downside’ of relying on food delivery personnel in the capital, Accra, according to some patrons and food vendors.
The somewhat essential and lucrative business has employed many youth as a number of entrepreneurs continue to develop mobile applications to enable clients to receive their food at the comfort of their homes or workplaces.
Although it has been in existence for a while, the operations became prominent during the COVID-19 lockdown following the restrictions on large gatherings.
For many consumers, food delivery business is an “easy and convenient” approach as they may not have to spend minutes or hours in long queues just to get their favourite food.
Nonetheless, a major concern for some clients is the cost incurred for the delivery as well as the lofty commissions (‘chobo’) delivery men added to the original price of food packages.
A recent interaction with some operators and food vendors by The Spectator reveal that reservations some clients and food vendors have about food delivery services.
The Chief Executive Officer of Trafix Restaurant, Mrs. Bella Ahu, for instance acknowledges the importance of food delivery services but believes it is making restaurants “lose their relevance.”
According to her, apart from enjoying a good meal, restaurants or eateries are avenues for clients to socialise or discuss business but the era food of delivery seems to be taking away that aspect of restaurant operations.
Again, the possibility of errand boys “swapping food” she says is another reason she is a bit hesitant when using the food delivery services.
“I personally do not prefer the delivery services because customers do not get their food on time and this makes the food cold. The packaging does not get to the client the way it is presented.
“Clients come to make orders in the morning for food to be delivered to them later in the day but one annoying aspect is that, the delivery guys end up giving the food to the wrong person and we need to call back and apologise. This makes the delivery business quite stressful,” she says.
For this and other reasons, she advocates a regulatory agency responsible for registering and training food delivery companies in customer care.
Mrs. Rita Aku Mac-Pods Agbenyegah, Owner of Rakmadel Catering Services in Accra, said she relied on delivery personnel often when orders came beyond her business catchment area.
“My delivery services are not for free, the drivers charge depending on the distance. I also send my workers on errands to deliver package to customers in the vicinity as well and they charge GH¢ 1.00 per pack,” she said.
Mr Enoch Ampofo, a dispatch rider who has been in the business for the past five years, attributed the high cost of delivery fees to the long distance riders.
In spite of some clients paying more than half the price of food they buy a good number of corporate clients cannot ‘blacklist’ the young men who make cooked and packaged food reach their destinations.
Mr Emmanuel Ofori, a Civil Servant, for instance, explained why he continued to hold delivery services in high esteem.
“I personally don’t know how to cook and I don’t carry food along to the office. All I do at lunch time is to get my phone and check the menu of the food delivery application on my phone and order the meal I want for the day,” he said.
However, a person others like, Gloria Ofosu, would still prefer a walk in personally to a food vending joint to make her orders in order not to incur the cost of delivery.
“There is no way I will order food and pay for charges more than the food. It is waste of resources. I don’t remember the last time I called a food delivery services. I would rather buy from any nearby restaurant or food vendor when it is necessary,” she told The Spectator.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
A woman who is accused of bolting with ‘susu’ money totaling GH₵156,445 has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
Martha Nana Esi Afful was alleged to have collected the money from 35 complainants.
Charged with 35 counts of fraudulent breach of trust, Martha, who was earlier remanded, pleaded not guilty.
The court, presided over by Mr Joseph Y. Kuunsong on Wednesday, admitted the accused person to a GH₵200,000 bail with two sureties.
One of the sureties, the court said, must be a public servant earning not less than GH₵5,000.
She is expected to reappear on August 12, 2026.
The Prosecution’s case before the court is that the complainants are traders and residents at La in Accra.
Prosecution described Martha as a ‘Susu’ collector, who resided at Burma Camp.
The court heard that the accused person run a business with the name ‘ZOE’ and she deceived the 35 complainants into believing that she collected ‘Susu’ daily, which was kept for a period of one-three years, and paid interest on the money invested.
The complainants contributed in 2023 for a three-year period, prosecution said.
In December 2025, when the complainants went to take their money with interest, Martha went into hiding and only took phone calls from a few complainants.
Prosecution said the accused provided a MTN Momo number through which a few of the complainants still paid monies.
It said all efforts made to collect the money, totaling GH₵156,445 from her, proved futile.
On June 14, 2026, a report was made to the police and Martha was picked up at a washing bay at Tse Addo.
During interrogation, she admitted the offence in her caution statement, saying she lost her husband and relocated to Swedru in the Central Region, hence the complainants were unable to reach her from December 2025 till date.
Prosecution said Martha further stated that she had invested the monies into refuse collection business and she needed time to pay the amount.
Police are investigating the claims. –GNA
A Public Health Nurse at the Roman Ridge Sub-Municipal of the Ayawaso West Health Directorate, Ms Patience Adoli Kporxah, has cautioned the public against coming into contact with floodwaters, warning that exposure can lead to serious diseases, infections and injuries.
Floodwater, she said, should always be treated as contaminated, regardless of how clean it appears, because it may contain sewage, human and animal waste, chemicals, fuel, sharp objects and disease-causing micro-organisms.
In an interview with The Spectator in Accra on Thursday, Ms Kporxah explained that contact with contaminated floodwater exposes people to bacteria, viruses, parasites, hazardous chemicals and other physical hazards that can result in illness or injury.
Her advice came in the wake of recent exposure to floodwater following Monday’s torrential rains that left vast areas of the capital flooded.
As a result, a lot of people were seen either ‘swimming’ in the floodwater to rescue people or retrieving items being washed away.
According to her, exposure to floodwater could cause skin infections, particularly where there are cuts or open wounds, as well as diarrhoea diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and other forms of gastroenteritis if contaminated water was swallowed.
Other health risks, she said include hepatitis A, eye and ear infections, tetanus in people with untreated wounds or incomplete vaccination, and injuries from submerged sharp objects, debris or electrical hazards.
Ms Kporxah advised anyone who had contact with floodwater to monitor their health closely and seek immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, severe headache, muscle aches, skin rash, difficulty breathing, or yellowing of the eyes or skin.
She also urged people whose wounds became red, swollen, painful or begin to discharge pus, as well as those who accidentally swallow floodwater, to report to the nearest health facility without delay.
Although not everyone exposed to floodwater requires immediate treatment, she stressed that pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, individuals living with chronic illnesses and those with significant wounds should seek prompt medical evaluation.
On water safety, Ms Kporxah cautioned that rainwater was not automatically safe for drinking or cooking, especially during or after flooding. She explained that rainwater collected from roofs, gutters or open containers could be contaminated by bird and animal droppings, dust, leaves, bacteria, viruses, parasites and chemical pollutants.
She advised that rainwater intended for drinking should first be treated by boiling, chlorination or another approved water purification method before use.
Touching on food safety, Ms Kporxah said factory-sealed bottled drinks and canned foods with intact packaging might still be safe after flooding.
However, she stressed that any containers submerged in floodwater should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before handling. Foods in paper packaging, damaged containers or products with broken seals should be discarded because contaminated water may have seeped into them.
She further warned that flooding increases the risk of outbreaks of cholera, typhoid fever and other waterborne diseases through contaminated water sources.
In addition, she said flooding could contribute to respiratory illnesses in overcrowded shelters and mould-infested buildings, foodborne illnesses from spoiled or contaminated food, and mental health conditions such as anxiety, stress, depression and trauma.
It could also disrupt access to medicines and healthcare for people living with chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, asthma and kidney disease.
Ms Kporxah therefore urged the public to practice good hygiene, avoid unnecessary contact with floodwater, consume only safe food and drinking water, and seek medical attention promptly whenever symptoms develop.
She said observing these preventive measures would help minimise the risk of disease outbreaks and protect lives as the country continues to experience heavy rains and flooding in some communities.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
