Ablakwa Raises Alarm Over Indications SHS Students Being Fed Repackaged Expired Food

• Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has raised the alarm over suggestions that Senior High School students may have been fed expired food.
• Ablakwa shared documents he attributes to the FDA in the Ashanti Region to support his claims
• The MP has called for action against persons he believes to be culpable to have allegedly allowed expired foods in some schools

North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has raised the alarm over indications that Senior High School students may have been fed expired food.

In a Facebook post, Ablakwa described the repackaging as a murderous and corrupt scheme and demanded action against those he believed were culpable.

He alleged a government crony company was allowed to criminally repackage over 15,000 50kg bags of expired and contaminated rice into different 50kg bags without expiry dates.

The legislator also claimed that a Parliamentary investigation showed that the expired and contaminated rice was then delivered to Senior High Schools across the country and fed to students in schools like PRESEC Legon in Accra and Bolga Girls SHS in the Upper East Region.

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His concerns stem from a December 2023 alert to the Ashanti Regional Office of the FDA about a suspicious repackaging exercise.

“This unauthorized re-packaging was shockingly being carried out at the storage facility of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) in the Ashanti Region.”

When FDA officials acted on the alert, it emerged that the Ashanti Regional Police Command had received a similar alert and had promptly moved in to close the storage facility.

The Ashanti Regional FDA and police investigated the matter, and Ablakwa shared his belief about the findings on social media.

The findings are signed by Ashanti Regional Head John Laryea Odai-Tettey. Odai-Tettey had not yet responded to YEN.com.gh's requests for comment by the time of publishing this article.

According to the report, the National Food Buffer Stock storage facility in Kumasi received 22,000 bags of 50kg rice by the time of the alert, whilst the remaining 10,000 bags were being kept at a bonded warehouse in Tema known as Lynbrok.

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The rice had allegedly been imported from India by a company known as Lamens Investments Africa Limited.

"Lamens Investments Africa and National Food Buffer Stock realising that the best before date for the Moshosho Rice was December 2023 started criminally re-packaging the Moshosho Rice from its original yellow 50kg polypropylene bags into white 50kg polypropylene bags with the inscription “CEDAO ECOWAS Regional Food Security Reserve."

According to Ablakwa, while the best-before date on the original Moshosho Rice packaging was December 2023, the new bags used for the repackaging did not have a date.

The country of origin was also reportedly changed to Ghana. Ablawka maintains that this illegal repackaging was carried out without the FDA’s approval as required by law.

Lamens Investments Africa Ltd is said to have allegedly admitted to its wrongdoing and agreed to pay an administrative fine of GHS100,000. But according to Ablakwa's checks, the company has reportedly only paid half the amount.

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Expired food already found in schools

The FDA has already found expired food items in the storerooms of schools like the Zuarungu Senior High School.

The expired food items were seized and taken away when an FDA team appeared unannounced on the school’s campus in the Bolgatanga East District.

The FDA also urged school administrators to prioritise adherence to food safety standards within educational settings.

Mass discontent with buffer stock

YEN.com.gh reported that in 2023, food suppliers thronged the premises of the Buffer Stock Company to demand the full payment of two-year arrears allegedly owed to them.

Scores of food suppliers spent nights in the open at the premises of the National Food Buffer Stock Company.

The company manages the state's emergency food security reserves by working with farmers and other food suppliers to mop up excess produce from all farmers to reduce post-harvest losses like spoilage due to poor storage.

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On July 6, 2023, Agricultural Minister Bryan Acheampong told the picketing food suppliers that he would contact the Ministry of Finance to settle their two-year arrears.

Proofread by Samuel Gitonga, Copy Editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh