A heated sitting of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has brought to light discrepancies in the distribution of rice under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, following probing questions by Ketu North MP, Edem Agbana.
The exchanges were triggered by claims from a former Director of Procurement at the Ministry that “party people” took control of warehouses after the 2024 elections, allegedly disrupting the distribution of rice valued at GH¢19 million.
The assertion raised concerns among committee members, with Mr. Agbana demanding clarity on the identity of the so-called “party people” and how their actions could have led to the disruption in supply.
During proceedings, a woman accompanying the Deputy Minister for Agriculture reiterated the claim, attributing the failure to distribute the rice to interference by unnamed political actors.
However, sustained questioning by Mr. Agbana revealed a different account.
Under further scrutiny, the official conceded that the rice had in fact been supplied and stored in warehouses but could not be distributed due to a dispute between the supplier and a transporter over unpaid fees.
The revelation shifted the focus of the committee’s inquiry from alleged political interference to contractual and logistical challenges within the supply chain.
Despite the clarification, Mr. Agbana’s line of questioning sparked tensions within the committee, with both the chairman and ranking member challenging his interpretation of the earlier claim.
The disagreement briefly escalated into a standoff before interventions restored order.
The development follows findings by the Auditor-General that the government paid GH¢50 million to a supplier for rice, of which GH¢19 million worth remains undistributed.
Meanwhile, Deputy Finance Minister, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, disclosed to the committee that one of the companies cited in the Auditor-General’s special report, Rans Logistics, has refunded approximately GH¢19 million to the state.
The incident has intensified scrutiny of procurement and distribution processes within the agriculture sector, particularly in the wake of the 2024 elections, with concerns mounting over accountability in the management of public funds and food supplies.
