Former Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) who served under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the Upper East Region have described as misleading and unfair recent allegations by Dr Bryan Acheampong, a former Minister for Food and Agriculture.
The comment that fertilizers meant for farmers under the Dry Spell Intervention Programme were hoarded by MMDCEs for personal gain is misleading.
Addressing a press conference in Bolgatanga, the former MDCEs said the allegations, made during Dr Acheampong’s recent regional campaign tour, were false and a deliberate attempt to tarnish their reputation and that of the Akufo-Addo administration.
Dr Acheampong, during a recent campaign tour, alleged that all fertilizer under the dry intervention programme was dispatched months before the December 2024 general elections but that MDCEs hoarded them.
However, they explained that contrary to Dr Acheampong’s claim that all fertilizers under the intervention programme were dispatched months before the December 2024 general election, official records showed that deliveries reached the districts only a few days before the polls.
They cited an allocation letter from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture dated November 27, 2024, signed by the Acting Chief Director on behalf of the Minister, which detailed the fertilizer and maize allocations for each district and instructed that deliveries commenced thereafter.
According to the data provided by the former MDCEs and read by Mr Daniel Kwame Gariba, former Builsa South DCE and former Dean of the MDCEs in Upper East Region, fertilizer and maize consignments arrived in various districts between November 27 and December 10, 2024.
In Builsa South, for instance, the Assembly received 963 bags of NPK and 1,000 bags of Urea fertilizer on November 27, 2024, followed by 1,000 bags of maize on December 4, 2024.
In Binduri District, which registered 45,000 farmers, received only 1,000 bags of Urea on December 4, and 2,000 bags of NPK on December 5 and 10 respectively.
The Talensi District took delivery of 1,000 bags of NPK on November 27 and 900 bags of maize on December 4, while Bolgatanga Municipal received 1,000 bags each of NPK and Urea on November 30, 2024.
Similarly, the Bongo District received 1,000 bags of Urea and 1,000 bags of NPK between November 27 and 28, and 1,100 bags of maize on November 29, 2024.
The Bawku Municipal took delivery of 1,100 bags of maize on December 1, while the Nabdam received 1,000 bags of NPK on November 28, 950 bags of Urea on November 30, and 1,000 bags of maize on December 4, 2024.
The Kassena Nankana West received 1,000 bags of Urea on December 4, while Builsa North received 1,000 bags of NPK on November 30, 2024.
The former MDCEs noted that these quantities were far below expectations and insufficient to meet the needs of registered farmers.
“For example, Binduri District registered 45,000 farmers, but the Ministry approved inputs for only 25,000 farmers, which should have translated into 75,000 bags of fertilizer. Yet, the district received only 3,000 bags in total. How could such limited quantities be shared fairly just three days before the elections?”, they asked.
They explained that the late arrival of inputs, coupled with the intense electioneering period, made distribution practically impossible, as MMDCEs were occupied with campaign-related activities and meetings.
They described Dr. Acheampong’s statement as “unfortunate, false, and politically motivated,” stressing that as the sector minister at the time, he was fully aware of the operational challenges and timelines of the intervention programme.
The former MMDCEs therefore demanded an immediate retraction and a public apology from Dr Acheampong for what they termed as “reckless and misleading comments.”
“We served our people with integrity, transparency, and dedication, and we will not sit quietly while falsehoods are spread to discredit our service and that of the Akufo-Addo administration”.
They also urged the public and the media to disregard Dr Acheampong’s assertions and treat them with the contempt they deserved, reiterating their continued commitment to the values of honesty, accountability, and service to their communities and the New Patriotic Party.
Present at the press conference also was Mr Rex Asanga, former MCE for Bolgatanga, Mr Gerard Ataogye, former DCE for Kassena-Nankana West, Mrs Agnes Anamoo, former DCE for Nabdam, Mr Joseph Adongo, former MCE for Kassena-Nankana Municipal and Mr Albert Agana Akugre former DCE for Bolgatanga East.
GNA
