The Minority Caucus in Parliament accompanied by a press team over the weekend stormed the premises of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) to attack the officials over a GH¢270 million debt owed to food suppliers under the free SHS program for the past two years.
This follows the crying of the members of the National Food Suppliers Association, who have been picketing at the Buffer Stock to demand for the payment of their two years GH¢278 million arrears for food supplied to senior high schools across the country.
The situation forced the NDC MPs, who claimed to be in solidarity with the suppliers to abandon their parliamentary duties and rush to the scene to confront the staff over the arrears.
The presence of the NDC MPs, led by the Minority Leader, Dr. Ato Forson, Deputy Leader, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Juaboso MP, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh and NDC’s parliamentary candidate for Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese, Felix Kwakye Ofosu created confusion at the premises which nearly turned into violence when they clashed with the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong over the picketing of food suppliers.
However, midway through the interactions with the Deputy CEO of Buffer Stock, Kofi Amankwah, the Minister drove into the compound of NAFCO and in a confrontational mood, accused the four-member Minority team of politicizing the issue for their gain.
While the confrontation was ongoing the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong accessed the situation and promised to liaise with the Ministry of Finance to have their arrears paid.
He was ambushed by the Minority MPs who engaged him in a hot exchanges of words with the members.
The Minister for Food and Agriculture can be heard telling the Minority Leader “You can’t do that, and you were a deputy Finance Minister and what do you know about paying people or payment that has been made?”
Some members of the Caucus could also be heard telling the Minister “You should be the last person to get angry. If you had solved it, we will not be here and so you don’t shout at us like that. It is disrespectful.”
The Minister, in turn, fumed and can be heard telling the Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson, “You are a leader, and you don’t bring the press to a discussion.”
The exchanges became increasingly heated when the Minister questioned why the Minority MPs were given impetus to an “inorganic picketing.”
“You are a former Deputy Finance Minister, what do you know about these payments? What do you know about payments that have been delayed…..You can’t do this. This inorganic picketing should not be accepted,” Bryan said when he barged into the discussion between the MPs and the Deputy CEO.
In response, the Member of Parliament for Juaboso, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh who wasn’t enthused with how Bryan was questioning his leaders, called the Minister to order.
The Minority Leader in response said “You like attacking me anytime. I’m here to address, desist from those attacks on me. Stop that attitude of yours’’.
Addressing the picketers, the Minority Leader condemned the government’s negligence and demanded immediate action to address the concerns of the suppliers.
He however promised to make their grievances known to the plenary when the three Ministers of Agric, Finance, and Education are summoned to the House next week.
On his part, Bryan Acheampong defended the government’s efforts in addressing the money owed to the suppliers.
He asserted that the delayed payments were not intentional and attributed them to administrative issues. He assured me that the payments owed to the suppliers will be settled in the coming days.
-BY Daniel Bampoe