Former Minister for Food and Agriculture and Member of Parliament for Abetifi, Dr. Bryan Acheampong, has denied allegations that he distributed government fertilisers to New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidates during the 2024 general elections.
He clarified that the fertilisers were distributed through the Ministry’s district agricultural offices, not through any political party structures or candidates.
Dr. Acheampong made the clarification following a confrontation with the NPP’s 2024 parliamentary candidate for Ejura, Gifty Ndomah, during his campaign tour of the constituency.
Ms. Ndomah had disputed an earlier claim by Dr. Acheampong that fertilisers had been distributed to parliamentary candidates for onward distribution but were allegedly hoarded or diverted by some of them.
Addressing supporters later at a rally in Ejura as part of his campaign ahead of the NPP’s upcoming presidential primaries, Dr. Acheampong dismissed the claims as false and misleading.
He emphasized that it would have been improper and unlawful for fertilisers purchased with public funds to be handed over to political candidates for distribution.
“The government cannot allocate fertilisers from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to any parliamentary candidate representing a political party. That’s not how public resources are managed,” he explained.
“If that were the case, then during election periods, government funds would simply be handed to our parliamentary candidates across the country but that’s not how responsible governance works.”
Dr. Acheampong further noted that fertilisers under the government’s agricultural programmes were always sent to the district level to ensure transparency, accountability, and proper supervision.
“When the fertilisers reach the districts, then yes, as the governing party, you may have some level of influence in how things are done,” he said. “But in terms of accountability and responsibility, the control remains with the district agricultural offices not the political candidates.”
