In response to the Bird Flu outbreak that wreaked havoc on farmers between 2015 and 2018, Parliament has issued a decisive mandate to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) to swiftly disburse GH¢1.8 million in compensation funds.
The urgency behind this directive stems from the troubling revelation uncovered in the 2022 Auditor General’s Report, which exposed a glaring inefficiency in the Ministry’s handling of the allocated funds. Despite the substantial sum earmarked for compensation, a significant portion remains idle in the Ministry’s coffers, unutilized and inaccessible to the farmers who direly need it.
While the Ministry cites the lack of essential details from affected farmers as a cause for the delay in fund distribution, the Public Accounts Committee, chaired by James Klutse Avedzi, has taken decisive action. Avedzi, during a session, instructed the Agriculture Ministry to expedite the process by locating the impacted farmers and disbursing the funds within the next month.
Mr Avedzi emphasized the Ministry’s possession of crucial information such as lists of affected farms and certificates for bird destruction, asserting that these details should streamline the process of reaching out to the affected farmers.
The directive underscores a sense of urgency and accountability, urging the Ministry to proactively engage with farmers and swiftly gather the necessary bank details to facilitate the transfer of funds. The one-month ultimatum serves as both a deadline and a call to action,
