Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, has alleged that 22,000 bags of expired rice, repackaged to disguise its origin, were distributed to Senior High Schools nationwide in February.
In an interview on Joy FM’s Midday News on Thursday, November 14, Ablakwa claimed that the National Food Buffer Stock Company colluded with Lamens Investments Africa Limited in this distribution.
According to Ablakwa, expired rice imported from India under the brand “Moshosho rice”which had an expiration date of December 2023 was repackaged at the Buffer Stock Company’s storage facility in Kumasi, Ashanti Region.
He stated that the expired rice was placed in locally produced sacks labeled “ECOWAS” and “Made in Ghana rice” but bore no expiration date.
Ablakwa added that the Ashanti Regional Police Command and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) initially intercepted the rice after a tip-off. However, the rice was later cleared for distribution to schools.
“Can you believe that, before the test results arrived from the FDA in Accra on 6th February, an instruction came from above that the expired, contaminated rice should be distributed to the schools? So, as we speak, all 22,000 bags of rice that the police sought to confiscate have been sent to the schools,” he said.
Ablakwa indicated that even after the case was exposed, an investigation was launched but was later abandoned when the said company offered to pay compensation of GH₵100,000.
“There ought to be prosecution. The company has admitted to their wrongdoing and agreed to pay a fine of GH₵100,000 after jeopardising the health of thousands of Ghanaian students. Even the fine – they have only paid half of it, and they can’t be located to pay the remainder,” he claimed.
