Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has accused the Ministry of Education of complicity in the scandal involving over 22,000 bags of expired and contaminated rice being re-packaged and distributed to Senior High Schools (SHSs) across Ghana.
In a post on Facebook, Ablakwa expressed surprise at the Ministry’s claim of investigating the matter, arguing that they were already aware of the illegal activity months before, citing intercepted documents showing that the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) had informed a Deputy Minister of Education, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, during their investigations.
Ablakwa, who has been at the forefront of exposing the scandal, alleged that Lamens Investments Africa and the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) were responsible for the re-packaging of expired rice, which was then distributed to schools including Bolga Girls’ SHS and Presbyterian Boys SHS. He further accused the Education Ministry of failing to protect students, calling for an independent, unbiased investigation into the matter.
The MP revealed that a tip-off from a concerned Ghanaian led to the discovery of the unauthorized re-packaging at NAFCO’s Ashanti Region facility, which was carried out without FDA approval. He criticized the involvement of political figures, highlighting that NAFCO’s CEO, Alhaji Hanan Abdul-Wahab, is also an NPP parliamentary candidate, further raising concerns about the potential interference in the investigation.
Ablakwa urged the arrest of those involved in the illegal operation and demanded sanctions against the Ministry of Education for its failure to act, stating that politicians and business partners behind the scheme should be held accountable for jeopardizing the health of SHS students.