Investigate expired rice distribution to SHSs - NDC caucus urges President

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Caucus in Parliament has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the alleged distribution of expired and contaminated rice to senior high schools (SHSs) across the country.

They said 22,000 bags of 50 kg Moshosho Rice imported from India had allegedly expired on December 20, 2023, yet they were allegedly repackaged into white 50kg polypropylene bags as Made-in-Ghana rice with the inscription “CEDAO ECOWAS Regional Food Security Reserve” and distributed to the schools.  

The bags, without any expiry dates, the Minority Caucus alleged, were repackaged in an unlicensed storage facility of the National Buffer Stock Company (NBSC), and later distributed to various SHSs where they had been consumed by thousands of innocent students.

“President Akufo-Addo and Vice-President Bawumia cannot remain silent on this grave matter which jeopardises the health of millions of Ghanaian students,” the caucus said. 

Punish culprits

Speaking to the press in Parliament yesterday, the Chairman of the Government Assurance Committee of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, whose investigations led to the uncovering of the alleged act, said the food items were found to have expired by the Food and Drugs Authority laboratory tests.

“The nation is looking up to them to offer leadership, punish culprits who are largely their appointees and implement reforms to ensure the safety of our children.

“The NDC Caucus also demands the immediate arrest and prosecution of the directors of Lamens Investments Africa Limited and the board and management of the National Food Buffer Stock Company must be sanctioned for allowing their storage facility to be used for this atrocious act,” he said.

Damning findings

Mr Ablakwa, who is also the Chairman of the Government Assurance Committee of Parliament, said on December 20, 2023, the Ashanti Regional Office of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) received an alert from a patriotic Ghanaian about a suspicious re-packaging exercise which had not been authorised by the FDA.

The MP for North Tongu said when FDA officials acted on the alert, it emerged that a similar alert had been received by the Ashanti Regional Police Command and the command had promptly moved in to close the storage facility. 

He said the Ashanti Regional FDA’s investigations revealed a damning finding as contained in an intercepted report signed by its Ashanti Regional Head, John Laryea Odai-Tettey.

The Moshosho Rice (25 per cent broken white rice) with registration number FDA/Ce 20-701 was imported by Lamens Investments Africa Limited and the notifying party is the National Food Buffer Stock Company.

“The rice was exported from India by Satya Balajee Rice Industries PVT Ltd and in all 33,000 bags of 50kg bags of rice were imported,” he said.

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

Admission of wrongdoing  

Mr Ablakwa cited a 2021 Auditor General’s report that exposed Lamens for endangering the health of students with their contaminated food.

“They were also engaged in undersupplying food items,” he said, citing how Lamens had admitted to its wrongdoing and agreed to pay an administrative fine of GH¢100,000.

“Indeed, additional intercepted documents confirm that Lamens paid a 50 per cent deposit of the fine to the FDA amounting to GH¢50,000 and it was received by the FDA on January 5, 2024,” he said.

He said the Ashanti Regional Police Command in an intercepted letter dated December 21, 2023, signed by Superintendent/Crime/Ashanti, J.J. Boye,  wrote to the Ashanti Regional FDA Director requesting assistance in examining the repackaged rice.

Shockingly, even before the test results would arrive from FDA-Accra, “a reckless order came from above that the repackaged rice be distributed to SHSs”.

“The FDA eventually submitted the test results, also known as certificate of analysis on February 6, 2024, which showed that the expired and contaminated repackaged bags of rice had already been distributed to schools on February 1 and 2, 2024.