I never insulted Northerners - Agric Minister

The Minister of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto has refuted claims that he insulted the people of northern Ghana.

Dr Afriyie Akoto is said to have said the government’s flagship Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme had benefited the people of the north to the extent that they were now financially-elevated to buy themselves motorbikes, build cement houses and roof them with modern building materials.

He is said to have made the remarks in a recent television interview with Accra based Joy News.

The comments have generated controversy with a section of the public and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) calling for the resignation of the minister.

But commenting during a courtesy call on the Overlord of Gonjaland, Yagbonwura Tumtumba Borisa in Damongo on Tuesday [November 5, 2019], Dr Afriyie Akoto said: "I never made such comments, it is the propaganda of the NDC".

"There is some propaganda going around that I have made a statement to the effect that northerners are living in mud homes, I took the opportunity to explain to the chief that there was nothing of that sort, I was talking about the boom of the Planting for Food and Jobs programme," he said.

According to him, the misinterpretation of his remarks was propaganda by the NDC geared towards making the government unpopular, stating that "the NDC is so desperate that they are creating enmity between the government and the people of the north".

"The truth is very clear, PFJ is bringing prosperity to farmers in this country and nobody can dispute it, in fact, the chief said he couldn't believe it because he knows my background and I will never make such desperate comments, so I urged all to disregard such comments and support the government to deliver," Dr Akoto added.

The Paramount Chief of the Buipe Traditional Area, Buipewura Abdulai Jinapor on behalf of the Yagbonwura cautioned politicians against making unjustifiable allegations that have the tendency to plunge the nation into chaos.

"The allegations levelled against the minister are unacceptable and some of these things will be coming more as we approach the election year, everybody should be very careful, I know the minister very well he is a practical farmer and I am very sure that he will never say that," he said.

The minister is on a three-day working visit to the Northern, Savannah and North East Regions to interact with various stakeholders and assess the impact of the PFJ programme.