Ablakwa exposes alleged repackaging of expired Indian rice for SHS students

Member of Parliament for North Tongu and Chairman of the Assurance Committee, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has revealed an alleged scheme involving the repackaging of expired and contaminated rice from India for Senior High School students in Ghana.

In his latest exposé shared on social media, Ablakwa claims that criminal activity is being coordinated in collaboration with the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), under the supervision of its CEO, Alhaji Hanan Abdul-Wahab, who also serves as the NPP’s Parliamentary Candidate for Pusiga, and Board Chairman Henry Nana Boakye, who doubles as the NPP’s National Organiser.

He reveals that on 20 December 2023, the Ashanti Regional Office of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the police command began investigations into the alleged plot after a whistleblower raised the alert.

To support his claims, Ablakwa attached an intercepted report from the FDA, signed by its Ashanti Regional Head, John Laryea Odai-Tettey. This report states that Lamens Investments Africa Limited imported ‘Moshosho rice’, a 25% broken rice with registration number FDA/Ce 20-701, with NAFCO listed as the notified party. Over 33,000 bags of 50kg rice were imported from India by Satya Balajee Rice Industries PVT Ltd. The FDA’s findings further reveal that 22,000 bags of 50kg rice were received at NAFCO’s storage facility in Kumasi at the time of the alert, while the remaining 10,000 bags were kept at a bonded warehouse in Tema known as Lynbrok.

Upon realising that the rice had an expiration date of December 2023, Lamens Investments Africa and the Buffer Stock allegedly began repackaging the rice from its original yellow 50kg polypropylene bags into white 50kg polypropylene bags with the label “CEDAO ECOWAS Regional Food Security Reserve”, which lacked expiration dates.

Despite significant evidence of misconduct, Lamens Investments, which was awarded the contract without competitive bidding, was fined only GHS 100,000—of which half has reportedly been paid, while the remaining balance has been ignored.

Meanwhile, the repackaged, expired, and contaminated rice has allegedly already been distributed to several Senior High Schools, including PRESEC, Legon, and Bolga Girls. Ablakwa is warning of serious health risks posed to students, citing potential long-term issues such as gastrointestinal problems, nutritional deficiencies, and exposure to harmful toxins.

Highlighting these risks, Ablakwa is therefore demanding immediate sanctions against the management of the National Food Buffer Stock Company “for allowing their storage facility to be used for this atrocious act and for operating unregistered storage facilities across the country.”

He is also calling for an investigation into the conduct of the Ministry of Education to determine their involvement in what he describes as a “despicable affair.”

Check out Ablakwa’s full post.

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