Location: Bolgatanga

Date: 23rd October, 2025

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the media, fellow citizens, and distinguished guests.

We, the former Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) in the Upper East Region who served under the government of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo have invited you here today to respond to some unfortunate and misleading statements made by Dr. Bryan Acheampong, a former Minister for Food and Agriculture, during his recent regional campaign tour.

In a video that has gone viral, Dr. Acheampong alleged that all fertilizer meant for the Dry Spell Intervention Programme wasdispatched to the various districts months before the December 2024 elections. He further accused Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) of hoarding the fertilizer for personal gain.

Ladies and gentlemen, these allegations are false, unfounded, and an unfortunate attempt to malign our reputation and the integrity of the Akufo-Addo administration.

Background to the Dry Spell Fertilizer Initiative

As you may recall, during the 2024 farming season, several parts of northern Ghana, including the Upper East Region, experienced an extended period of low rainfall between June and August. This dry spell severely affected farming activities, leading to crop losses, reduced yields, and increased food insecurity.

In response to this crisis, the Government of Ghana, with support from the World Bank, rolled out an emergency intervention to assist affected farmers. The initiative sought to provide fertilizer, grains, and financial support to help smallholder farmers recover and prepare for the next planting season.

On 24th August 2024, the Minister for Food and Agriculture and the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development convened a meeting at the Institute of Local Government Studies in Accra. All MMDCEs from affected regions were invited to that meeting and briefed about the intervention.

At that meeting, it was clearly stated that each registered affected farmer would receive:

Metropolitan, Municipal and District Agricultural Officers were tasked to conduct the registration of affected farmers, after which the lists were submitted to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for verification and subsequent distribution.

What Actually Happened

Contrary to Dr. Acheampong’s claim, fertilizer was not delivered months before the 2024 elections.

An allocation letter from the Ministry of Food and Agricultureinforming all Regional Directors of Agriculture of the quantities of fertilizer and maize to be distributed to each district was issued on 27th November, 2024. The letter was signed by the then Ag. Chief Director of the Ministry on behalf of the sector minister (Dr. Bryn Acheampong). Find attached a copy of the allocation letter.

In fact, only about 5% of the total allocation reached the districts during the week of the elections, making it impossible to carry out meaningful distribution due to timing and other challenges.

For the avoidance of doubt, we are providing the number of inputs and dates some districts in the region received their items. 

Attached are waybills showing deliveries to the various Municipaland District Assemblies in the Upper East Region for your perusal.

Based on the above data, it's evident that the quantities of fertilizer received fell significantly short of expectations. For example, BinduriDistrict registered 45,000 farmers, but the Ministry approved 25,000 farmers for them, translating into 75,000 bags of fertilizer; yet they received only 3,000 bags. Whom were they going to give it to and leave who? It was because, given the timing, just three days before elections, distributing that limited number would have been challenging, potentially leading to more harm than good. 

Additionally, the intense campaign period meant MMDCEs were preoccupied with scheduled meetings to garner votes, leaving little time for fertilizer distribution.

Ladies and gentlemen, given the assertion by Dr. Acheampong that MMDCEs hoarded the fertilizer for their personal gain, was it a coincidence that all the 15 constituencies in the Upper East Region, the 6 constituencies in the North East Region, and the 11 constituencies in the Upper West Region couldn't distribute the fertilizer? So, all these districts came together and decided to smuggle the fertilizer? It was because the numbers came far below and sharing them at the critical moment was going to worsen the electoral fortunesof the NPP.

The remaining consignments were still pending delivery when we left office. Therefore, any claim that MMDCEs hoarded fertilizer or diverted it for personal use is completely false, malicious, and without basis.

We find it deeply troubling that Dr. Acheampong, who himself was directly involved in the sector and fully aware of the timelines and challenges of that intervention, would choose to mislead the public for political gain.

Our Position

Ladies and gentlemen, we, the former MDCEs of the Upper East Region, take great pride in the service we rendered to our country and the people of our districts. We carried out our duties with integrity, transparency, and accountability. We will not sit quietly while falsehoods are peddled to undermine our reputation or the good work we collectively did under the Akufo-Addo administration.

We therefore demand an immediate retraction and a public apology from Dr. Bryan Acheampong for his reckless and misleading comments.

We also urge the media and the general public to treat his claims with the contempt they deserve.

In conclusion, we wish to state that, we remain committed to the truth and to the progress of our party, the NPP, and the nation. As former public servants, we will continue to uphold the values of honesty, accountability, and service to our people.

Thank you for your attention, and may God bless our homeland,Ghana.

Signed:

Former District Chief Executives (DCEs) of the Upper East Region

Under the Administration of H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

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