The Speaker of Parliament, Alban S. K. Bagbin, has directed the Business Committee to schedule three ministers to appear in Parliament next week to brief members on the cause of delays in the payment to National Food Suppliers Association members for the past two years.
He said the Ministers of Finance, Education and Food and Agriculture should come and tell the House the cause of the challenge so that Parliament would assist the Executive to solve the problem.
Addressing Parliament on Friday, July 7, 2023, Mr Bagbin recalled a surprise visit he paid to the Buffer Stock Company in June 2022, a visit he said unnerved some people who thought he was taking over their function.
“No as the leader of this House and the Head of the institutions, it is important that I keep drawing your attention as the representative of the people so that you can properly represent the interest of your constituents.
Application
The Speaker’s directive followed an application the National Democratic Congress MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, when the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, presented the business statement to the House.
Mr Ablakwa said the delayed payment of funds to members of the National Food Suppliers Association which was of national interest should have found space in the business statement but did not.
He cited the picketing and demonstration at the National Buffet Stock Company by food suppliers over the past four days.
“These people have been at the mercy of the vagaries of the weather and are sleeping rough,” Mr Ablakwa said.
The North Tongu MP also informed the House of a video the Minority Leader shared with him showing how the affected women were” rolling on the floor on the premises of the NBSC.
“Mr Speaker, I was so depressed and went to bed last night really troubled,” he said, recalling how the Speaker paid a visit to the Buffer Stock Company last year on June 23, 2022 and warned of the deteriorating food situation at the Buffer Stock Company.
“Now the situation is totally out of control. So Mr Speaker I want to appeal that the ministers of Finance, Education and Food and Agriculture should be programmed to appear before this House urgently,” Mr Ablakwa prayed.
The North Tongu MP informed the House that there were reports that the Minister of Education made a request to the Finance Minister to make a release which had not been acceded to.
“These are our mothers and children who are starving and we cannot gloss over a whole week next week,” he said.
Minority’s visit to Buffer Stock Company
Meanwhile, the Minority Caucus, led by the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, today, July 7 paid a visit to the Buffer Stock Company to interact with management and the affected food suppliers to find solution to the challenge.
“We are more interested in the solution and how the situation could be resolved to get the Finance Minister to pay release you,” he said.
The four-member team also gave out food to the food suppliers who carried placards some of which read “Buffer Stock is the cause of food shortages in schools”, “Mr President please order Buffer Stock to pay us”, “Buffer Stock has devalued our money. Pay us with interest” and “Why have you paid some people January to December but other nothing at all.”
The spokesperson of the National Food Suppliers Association, Kwaku Amedome, narrated the ordeal the food suppliers had endured for the past two years and appealed to the government to pay them their outstanding money.
Assurance
In response, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Bryan Acheampong, who also came to the National Buffer Stock Company, assured food suppliers that the government was taking every step to pay them their outstanding money.
“We have addressed the issue and I know that very soon the suppliers are going to be paid,” he assured.
Dr Acheampong told the press that he met the suppliers yesterday and assured that whatever work was being done to reconcile the amount owed them to get them paid would be expedited.
Source: graphic.com.gh
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Dan I'm very apolitical so I'm agnostic as to who wins what, but you do write well. Keep it up!
Hmmmm, am for NPP , however one major challenge facing Akuffo Addo and his appointees is that they are always reactive instead of being proactive. It had to take some weeks before the finance minister started to engage with the bond holders, same was done to school feeding caterers when they complained about the 97 pesewas feeding fee per public school pupil per day, food suppliers of buffer stock have now made the offices of the national buffer stock their home due to non payment. Now the minority goes to sympathize with them and the agriculture minister goes to engage them in heated exchanges. So you ask yourself whether this happenings are as a result of arrogance, incompetence, i don't careism or it's about 'after all what' ?This government is behaving like the NPP will never go to Ghanaians for anything again. Can you imagine the number of people who's livelihood have been affected as a result of the suspension of payment of road tolls by the roads minister? Young girls who were active at the various toll booths nation wide selling all kinds of provisions to travelers have been rendered inactive as a result of this unpardonable error by one person, not the president ooo, just a minister, a minister . These are the very people who will queue to vote in 2024 to break the 8 for you, can you count on them for support with this sort of treatment? The NPP party youth kept complaining about the way the appointees especially those at the regional and district level i.e. Regional ministers and MMDCEs have been misbehaving. Those in authority at the top closed their eyes and ears to these complaints. Now , Allan Kyeremanten, Owusu Afriyie Akoto and Bawumia have all come out openly to admit that this is the general concern of party faithful as they move round the country to engage with the party supporters in their quest to win the presidential primaries. Question is; when did information get to them this is what was happening in the regions and districts? Kennedy Agyapong came on TV several times to complain about the neglect of the party supporters, he kept saying " build them, build them, build the party people " Nobody listened. Today the reality is staring you in the face. The 'war ' is very close, now the 'Generals' know they need troops to go for the war. Ask any military general. He will tell you, you don't go to war with a demotivated army and expect to win. Buy all the sophisticated weapons for your troops, bet me, if they are not happy with you, the battle can't be won. As to how come this current NPP leaders couldn't pick any lessons from President kufour's government is mind boggling. Currently the NDC has a presidential candidate, they have all their parliamentary candidates standing by, infact they are in the field jogging with the ball. The NPP is yet to come out with their candidates both presidential and parliamentary. Are they aware there is a saying that " the early bird catches the worm "? Looking at the acrimony surrounding the presidential primaries not to mention the parliamentary primaries, who is that single personality in the NPP today who commands a lot of respect currently, who is he or her? The NDC has Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu as their elders chairman. When he speaks in NDC, everybody listens. Who is his counterpart in the NPP , does that person commands the same level of respect? Kufour would have been the most perfect personality but there's every indication he's not equally consulted on some of these important issues, if they were consulting him the NPP would have avoided some of these embarrassing situations it finds itself. Anyone who wins the presidential primaries will have a hit the ground running by engaging with ordinary NPP supporter to win back their sacrifices. if not, breaking the 8 ?