Former municipal and district chief executives (MDCEs) of the Akufo-Addo administration in the Upper East Region have strongly rejected what they describe as “false and misleading” claims made by the former Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Bryan Acheampong. Apexnewsgh reports
The group, led by former Builsa South District Chief Executive and Upper East Dean of MDCEs, Kwame Gariba, called a press conference to set the record straight regarding the distribution of fertilizer under the government’s Dry Spell Intervention Programme during the 2024 farming season.
In a widely circulated video, Dr. Acheampong had alleged that all fertilizer earmarked for the Dry Spell Intervention Programme was dispatched to districts months before the December 2024 general elections. He further accused MMDCEs of hoarding the fertilizer for personal gain, casting aspersions on their integrity and the reputation of the Akufo-Addo government.
“These allegations are false, unfounded, and an unfortunate attempt to malign our reputation and the integrity of the Akufo-Addo administration,” declared Gariba, speaking on behalf of his colleagues. He provided a detailed timeline and background to the fertilizer initiative, underscoring the severe challenges faced by farmers in northern Ghana, including the Upper East, due to the protracted dry spell between June and August 2024. This climatic setback led to crop failures, reduced yields, and heightened food insecurity, prompting the government to launch an emergency intervention with support from the World Bank.
The emergency response included the provision of fertilizer, maize, and cash support to help smallholder farmers recover. At a high-level meeting in Accra on August 24, 2024, attended by all affected MMDCEs, it was agreed that each registered farmer would receive two bags of urea, one bag of NPK fertilizer, two bags of maize, and GH₵1,000 in cash. Registration of beneficiaries was handled locally by agricultural officers, with lists forwarded to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for verification and distribution.
Gariba countered Dr. Acheampong’s claims, stating, “Contrary to his assertion, fertilizer was not delivered months before the 2024 elections.” He referenced an official allocation letter from the Ministry, dated November 27, 2024, signed on behalf of Dr. Acheampong himself. This letter outlined the quantities of fertilizer and maize to be distributed, but only around 5% of the total allocation actually reached districts during election week. “It was impossible to carry out meaningful distribution due to the timing and other logistical challenges,” he explained.
He illustrated the issues with concrete examples: “In Binduri District, 45,000 farmers registered, but only 25,000 were approved, entitling them to 75,000 bags of fertilizer. Yet, they received just 3,000 bags, three days before the elections. Who were they going to give it to and leave out? Distributing such a limited supply at the last minute would have been chaotic and potentially damaging to the party’s electoral fortunes.”
The former MDCEs also noted that the intense campaign season left officials preoccupied, making timely distribution impossible. Gariba questioned the logic of Acheampong’s accusation: “Is it realistic to think that all the MDCEs in 15 Upper East constituencies, six in the North East, and eleven in the Upper West colluded to hoard fertilizer? The reality is, the allocations were far too small, and the timing was wrong.”
He emphasized that the remaining consignments had not been delivered by the time MDCEs left office. “Any claim that we hoarded or diverted fertilizer for personal gain is completely false, malicious, and without basis. It is deeply troubling that Dr. Acheampong, who was directly involved and aware of the program’s challenges, would mislead the public for political gain.”
Asserting their integrity and commitment, Gariba declared, “We, the former MDCEs of the Upper East Region, take great pride in the service we rendered to our country and our districts. We acted with integrity, transparency, and accountability. We will not sit quietly while falsehoods are peddled to undermine our reputation or the work we did under the Akufo-Addo administration.”
The group demanded an immediate retraction and public apology from Dr. Acheampong. They also called on the media and the public to treat his claims “with the contempt they deserve.”
In closing, Gariba reaffirmed their ongoing commitment to truth and public service: “We remain committed to the truth and to the progress of our party, the NPP, and the nation. As former public servants, we will continue to uphold the values of honesty, accountability, and service to our people.” The statement drew strong support from those present, who echoed the call for facts and fair discourse as Ghana moves forward.
The press conference ended with a renewed sense of unity among the former MDCEs and a clear message: they would not allow their reputations or the integrity of their service to be tarnished by political misrepresentation.
Below are some pieces of evidence:
Maize waybill img20241127_14582068_021600 builsa South dry spell- maize builsa South dry spell_ NPK
Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen
