…Northern drought hype has sinister motives
Dr Charles Nyaaba, a former Director of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, has accused the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Finance Ministry and Defense Ministry, of exaggerating the impact of the dry spell in the northern part of the country to draw a whopping GH₵8 billion from the national kitty.
Dr Nyaaba, alleged that the ministry only wants to use the dry spell as an opportunity to misuse the funds intended for farmers under the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) 2.0 programme.
This comes as the Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC), through the Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, James Agalga, accused the government of hiding behind the drought to deploy military personnel to intimidate voters under the guise of enforcing a recently imposed ban on grain exports.
Ghana’s Ambassador to Burkian Faso, Dr Adagbila Boniface Gambila, had also been against sending soldiers to borders to stop the smuggling of maize out of Ghana.
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Speaking on “The Big Issue” on Channel One TV, Dr Charles Nyaaba, noted that “the situation is not dire. I am currently on the farm. If you want I will do a video call. I am just sitting in a farming community to show the farms that we have here. The point is that they are looking for opportunities for the failure of PFJ 2.0 and to ‘chop’ money, that is the truth.”
He expressed scepticism over the ministry’s intention to spend GH₵8 billion on averting the possible food crisis, citing past experiences where funds were allegedly misappropriated.
“Why would any farmer not be happy that the government is going to spend GH₵8 billion on them? Because in the past they have used our names to take money and spend it and that is exactly what they are doing.
“The ministry, I can point that the minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, the grant component of the money they are currently distributing to the farmers is not getting to them. They gave it to the MPs and the DCEs and one of them is hoarding them in their warehouses.
“But at the end of the day, it will be reported that farmers received these inputs. Is it the same thing they are currently doing? I am telling you, we are going to resist, whatever it will take, we resist it. Because you cannot continue to use this thing to enrich yourself,” he stated.
On Monday, August 26, the government announced an immediate ban on grain exports. Defense Minister Dominic Nitiwul stated that military personnel had been deployed to enforce the ban at the country’s borders.
However, the Minority has expressed concerns about the government’s true intentions, alleging that the deployment is an attempt to suppress votes.
Agalga, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Builsa North Constituency in the Upper East Region, who was a Deputy Minister for Interior under the John Mahama Administration, alleged that the military deployment was a disguise for voter intimidation under the pretence of enforcing the grain export ban.
Mr Agalga, at a presser in Accra last Friday noted that: “If they have no ulterior motives, then they ought to have given us timelines. The fact that there are no timelines gives us reason to suspect that they only used the crisis, related to the drought up north and the potential for us to have some food security challenges, to deploy the military to intimidate voters.”
“Otherwise, there should be timelines. We further backed our assertions with what happened in the roundup of the 2020 elections…So our suspicions are justifiable.”
But Dr Sugri Bamagne, the former Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, has dismissed claims that the government’s deployment of the military to the northern part of the country is to intimidate voters rather than enforce the ban on grain exports.
He emphasised that the government’s primary focus is on ensuring food security.
However, speaking on “The Big Issues” on Channel One TV, Dr Bamagne, reiterated that the government’s top priority is securing the nation’s food supply, which he believes should take precedence over any other concerns.
“As we sit now because we are looking at the food security situation, it is national security. If we are not able to make ourselves food secure then it can lead to chaos.
“So, I don’t know what some people are thinking. I head the minority side of parliament even talking about elections and intimidation of voters and all those things and I said while the minister is thinking of food, some people are thinking of votes.
“I find it a bit absurd. Because we have to feed ourselves before we think about any other thing,” he stated.
Two weeks ago, the Minister for Finance, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam had announced that the government has allocated 8 billion Ghana Cedis to provide relief and some mitigative measures for the farmers affected by the dry spell.
“Our response may not entirely neutralise the extent of the problem. But our response certainly will help in stabilising the situation until we get out of the crisis. And so as the Honourable Minister for Food and Agriculture said, we are seeking to raise about 500 million U.S. dollars, the equivalent of 8 billion Ghana Cedis, to fund the crisis response programme”, the minister emphasised
The package includes cash transfers and a supply of food and other relief items to affected farmers.
He added that a technical task force comprising the Ministries of Finance and the Food and Agriculture will monitor the distribution of the relief items to ensure fairness and accountability.
Dr Amin Adam at a press briefing on Monday, August 26, explained that 2.5 billion out of the 8 billion allocated for the crisis response will be drawn from the contingency fund and 2.4 billion Cedis as support from development partners.
He noted that the support from the World Bank will be used for cash transfers and supply of inputs.
Northern Ghana is currently grappling with a severe drought that has sparked widespread concerns about food security and the livelihood of thousands of farmers.
The region has been without rain for over two months, with the extended dry spell stunting crop growth and leaving farmers with little hope for a successful harvest.
