Punish Bawumia-NPP for feeding students with expired rice – Apaak

Dr. Clement Apaak, the Member of Parliament for Builsa South, has questioned Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the NPP, about why he wants to be voted into office before investigating the supply of expired rice to Free SHS schools across the country by his party.

Following the widely spread viral news that the government had distributed some 22,000 bags of expired rice to public Senior High Schools in the country, Dr. Apaak has called on Ghanaians to punish Dr. Bawumia and the NPP for allegedly feeding students with expired rice during the upcoming December 7th general election.

This call comes after Dr. Bawumia, the presidential candidate of the ruling NPP government, promised to launch an investigation into the alleged supply of expired rice to Free Senior High Schools.

The government was first alleged to have transported the 22,000 bags of expired rice to the schools by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu.

In an interview on Joy FM, which was monitored by Ghana Education News, Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa revealed that the expired rice was dispatched to several Free SHS schools in the country after it had been repackaged into new bags.

According to the MP, who also doubles as the Chair of the Assurance Committee of Parliament, the distribution of the consignment was a deliberate act by the perpetrators.

“The National Food Buffer Stock Company clearly conspired with a company known as Lamens Investments Africa Limited. They used the Buffer Stock storage facility in Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region, to repackage expired rice. This company brought in rice from India, the brand ‘Moshosho rice,’ which expired in December 2023. Upon realizing the rice had expired, they conspired with the Buffer Stock company to use their premises for re-bagging,” he alleged.

However, speaking on TV3, Mr. Kwadwo Poku said the issue must not be politicized, adding that the technocrats within state agencies such as the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) should be held responsible.

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“This is not a political issue. All the people mentioned in this, at the FDA, Buffer Stock, and Lamens, are not politicians; they are technocrats. This is a matter of criminality if it is proven. If it is true, then the CID should investigate. I don’t think we should look at this issue as political. Let us not make this an election-winning issue; no politician is involved.

“We don’t need to politicize this matter. Our flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, will ensure this issue is investigated when he wins the election. If anyone is found culpable, he or she must be punished,” Mr. Poku stated.

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Dr. Clement Apaak, the Builsa South lawmaker, did not mince words as he questioned the Vice President about why he can only investigate such issues when he becomes president and not now.

“Our children are being fed unwholesome food under a government whose Veep is the flagbearer of the same party currently in power, and you are telling Ghanaians that the same Veep/flagbearer will investigate such criminal wickedness when he becomes President?” Dr. Apaak tweeted.

He continued: “What prevents DMB from causing an investigation into this matter now? Is he not on record claiming to have initiated and led all matters of initiatives? Ghanaians must severely punish DMB/NPP for feeding our children expired rice.”

The government feeding students with expired rice allegation has not been resolved, yet.