Alhaji Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, CEO, National Buffer Stock Company
Government yesterday released 50% of the 2022 Food Supply arrears to the National Food Buffer Stock Company Limited (NAFCO) for onward processing and payment to suppliers.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture said disbursement of the money from NAFCO to suppliers was expected to take immediate effect.
The statement added that the remaining 50% of the arrears will be paid within the next 30 days.
The move comes after members of the National Food Suppliers Association picketed at the premises of NAFCO to press home their demand for payment of over two years’ arrears for food supplied to various schools in the country.
The suppliers, who had come from different parts of Ghana, besieged and spent a night at the premises of NAFCO on Tuesday, July 4, 2023 in an attempt to put pressure on management.
A spokesperson for the food suppliers, Kwaku Amedume, who said the picketing would continue unabated, called on the government to intervene since they were being chased out of their homes by their creditors.
“We no longer have peace in our homes. Our homes have been taken over by creditors, and we seem to have found a place here [NAFCO]. As you can see, most of them are sleeping like they’ve never slept before. This shows the kind of trauma they go through in their homes,” he intimated.
“We are only appealing to the government. It is not our intention to embarrass the government in power. However, this is a serious national security issue because it threatens our very existence,” Mr. Amedume asserted.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong has extended his regards to all suppliers and commended them for their patience and cooperation.