Spokesperson for the Bryan Acheampong Campaign Team, Pius Enam Hadzide, has rejected allegations that former Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Bryan Acheampong, stockpiled fertilisers meant for farmers during the 2024 dry spell.
Mr. Hadzide described the claims as politically motivated and false, stressing that attempts to link the alleged hoarding to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) defeat in the 2024 general elections were “scandalous and baseless.”
Speaking in an interview on Channel One TV, he defended Dr. Acheampong’s record, insisting that the former minister ensured the fair and timely distribution of fertilisers across the country.
“They actually said that—that would be scandalous. How can that be? What is Bryan Acheampong going to do with fertiliser? Somebody who is self-made,” Mr. Hadzide remarked.
He explained that during the dry spell, Dr. Acheampong led efforts to import and distribute fertilisers nationwide to support farmers affected by the harsh weather conditions.
Mr. Hadzide, however, clarified that the minister’s role did not include direct distribution to individual farmers.
“As far as I know, the Minister for Agriculture, as an intervention to mitigate the impact of the dry spell, thought about the Ghanaian farmers, imported fertilisers, and distributed them to every region. The minister’s job is not to go and carry fertilisers and distribute them to farmers.
“That is the responsibility of local governance structures—district assemblies and other decentralised agencies. If, for any reason, a district failed to distribute fertilisers or did so late, it would be desperation of the highest order to blame the sector minister. I don’t know what people are talking about,” he said.
Mr. Hadzide maintained that the accusations formed part of a broader attempt to tarnish Dr. Acheampong’s image ahead of his future political engagements.