Some DCEs hoarded the fertilizers in their girlfriends house – Team Bryan Acheampong
The team, led by Maxwell Aburiya, alleged that some former MMDCEs hoarded he fertilizers, distributed them to their girlfriends, or used them on their own farms, instead of ensuring that they reached the intended beneficiaries.
The campaign team of Dr Bryan Acheampong in the Upper East Region has alleged that some former Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the region diverted fertilizers meant for poor farmers under the government’s Dry Spell Relief Project for their personal benefit and that of their associates.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, October 24, the team led by Maxwell Aburiya, alleged that some former MMDCEs hoarded he fertilizers, distributed them to their girlfriends, or used them on their own farms, instead of ensuring that they reached the intended beneficiaries.
“If you visit some of the MMDCEs’ homes, they have turned them into fertilizer warehouses. Some of them have even started farming with these fertilizers. People went to one of these MMDCE’s girlfriend’s house to retrieve 1,000 bags of fertilizer in the Bawku zone,” Aburiya claimed.
He further alleged that some of the former local government heads deliberately delayed the distribution of the fertilizers for political reasons.
“Survey reports indicated that the NPP was likely to win the 2024 general elections, so some of these former MMDCEs decided to withhold the fertilizers so that, after the party’s victory, they could sell them for profit. That was their main intention,” he said.
The team absolved Dr Bryan Acheampong, the former Minister of Food and Agriculture, of any blame for the lapses, insisting that the fertilizers were duly delivered to the region through the District Agricultural Offices and the various Municipal and District Assemblies.
According to the team, it was at the local level that leadership failure and selfish actions led to the denial of farmers’ access to the relief fertilizers. They also accused some MMDCEs of condoning smuggling and other acts of diversion that undermined the project.
“We were all here when Dr Bryan Acheampong brought fertilizer to the region. People started using it anyhow. We even intercepted fertilizer on a motor tricycle heading to Kandiga. We called Hon. Rex Asanga to complain about the smuggling,” he added.
The campaign team urged party members and the public to disregard attempts to blame Dr Acheampong for the setbacks in the distribution process, insisting that the former minister’s intentions were purely to support farmers affected by the dry spell.
Mike 105.3 FM | Navrongo | David Adapuna
