The Minority Members of Parliament who confronted the Minister of Food and Agriculture Bryan Acheampong, over the nonpayment of the two years arrears of the food suppliers by the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), have been criticized for the way and manner they approached the Minister.
A Governance Expert Micheal Aheampong noted that there were better ways the Members of Parliament could have adopted to hold the Minister accountable.
He mentioned summons by Parliament and filing of questions as some of the ways to hold Ministers to account.
Mr Acheampong described the approach adopted by the Minority as highly provocative and should not be entertained in a modern-day democracy.
In an interview with 3news.com, Mr Acheampong indicated that the opposition lawmakers had a point in holding the Minister to account for his action because the food suppliers need their money to stay in business but the approach they adopted was problematic.
“In my view, they could have adopted a better approach to dealing with this matter. But here we are, we have MPs walking into a place, stampeding the Minister in the presence of the Media, it was like an attack on the Minister, highly provocative.
“This, in my view, is not the best approach, this is like a Rambo-style approach and we should not accept that in a modern-day democracy, you could have summoned the Minister because we see it all the time that Ministers are hauled before Parliament to answer questions, there was no need for the show that we saw the last time,” he said.
Bryan Acheampong clashes with leadership of the minority after visit to the National Buffer Stock Company.#3NewsGH pic.twitter.com/2zk5tM4tpF
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) July 7, 2023
The Minority in Parliament led by their leader Dr Cassiel Ato Forson stormed the office of the NAFCO on Friday, July 7 to demand answers as to why the picketing food suppliers had not been paid their arrears.
The other opposition MPs who accompanied their leader were Juabosso MP, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Ellembelle MP Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Adaklu MP Kwame Agbodza.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) lawmakers had gone to the office of the National Food Buffer Stock Company where the food suppliers had been sleeping for the past three days to demand the payment of their arrears.
Bryan Acheampong was unhappy with the way and manner his colleague lawmaker had confronted him.
“You are a former Deputy Finance Minister, what do you know about these payments? What do you know about payments that have been delayed,” an unhappy Bryan told Ato Forson.
“…This is not the route to solve this problem. This inorganic picketing should not be accepted and encouraged,” the Abetifi Lawmaker added.
In response to him, Mintah Akandoh told him “You should be the last person to get angry, we are finding a solution.”
Regarding the arrears, the management of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) has acknowledged its indebtedness to food suppliers which has resulted in the picketing.
“NAFCO acknowledges its indebtedness to its cherished suppliers. The company sympathizes with them in this unfortunate situation they find themselves in which has compelled them to picket at our head office premises. The company is equally concerned about their plight and appreciates their patience.
“An emergency board meeting has been scheduled on the situation and the outcome including a possible roadmap for resolution will be shared thereafter,” a statement issued by the company on Thursday, July 6 said.
The picketing food suppliers said that they were owed two years’ arrears.
A spokesperson for the National Food Suppliers Association Koku Amedume said that this situation is putting pressure on them because they took loans from banks to enable them to meet the supply needs of the Buffer Stock.
Speaking on the Ghana Tonight Show with Alfred Ocansey on TV3 Tuesday, July 4, Amedume indicated that the suppliers who spent the night at the premises of the NAFCO as part of the demonstration are more comfortable sleeping at the premises of NAFCO than sleeping in their homes because of the pressure on them.
He also said they are worried about the interest being accrued on the loans they took because of the nonpayment by NAFCO.
“The pressure on us at home is massive. Most of these people go to contract loans from banks with huge interests with the sole aim of supporting their business and engaging in this supply business.
“Buffer stock had taken supplies from them for two years, for two years we have not been paid,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has summoned Bryan Acheampong, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, Bryan Acheampong and Minister of Education Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, over the issues of the picketing food suppliers.
This was after North Tongu Member of Parliament Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa requested the Speaker to summon the ministers.
“Mr Speaker, I want to appeal to you that the Honorable Minister for Education and the Honorable Minister for Agric should be programmed to appear before this House urgently, and possibly, we should add the Minister for Finance because we are hearing the Minister for Education made a request for Financial releases and it has into been acceded to,” Mr Ablakwa said on the floor of the House on Friday, July 7.
In his ruling, the Speaker said “As the leader of this House, it is important that I keep drawing your attention as the representatives of the people so that you can properly represent the interests of your constituents,” Bagbin said.
“Now this is where we are. So I agree that the Business Committee should schedule for the three ministers to appear before the House. The three ministers are the Ministers of Finance, Food and Agriculture, and Education. They will tell us why the challenge.”