The former deputy minister of Food and Agriculture (crops) under the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Hon. (Dr.) Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan has stated that the past NDC government experienced a tremendous growth in the field of agriculture.
According to Dr. Ahmed, he is not surprise the current Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Afriyie Akoto continually condemns the past administration for mismanagement, he further noted that he will not deal with just rhetoric but prove it with figures before and after their stay in office.
Dr. Ahmed continued by stating that he will have been glad if this current administration can deal with the truth and stop playing politics with our agriculture sector.
“I really wish people could do a more scientific research before coming out with pronouncements on a vital national aspect like agriculture”
He further stated that statistics on the sector from the Ghana statistical Board proves otherwise.
“Cocoa which is the major industrial crop for our country as at 2008 to 2009 our production level was 710,642 metric tons, this however reduced to 632,037 metric tons in2009 to 2010. 2011 the year of action under the leadership of his Excellency Late Prof. J. E. A Mills, experienced 1,024,554,000 metric tons was recorded”
“On our last production before leaving office, there was a record of 953,566 metric tons of cocoa that was recorded”
“I heard the minister speaking yesterday when he was inaugurating a board for one of the cocoa companies saying many things they are doing to hit a target of 1 million metric tons this year, 2017″ but I must say that if you have 953,566 metric tons recorded by your predecessor then you must know that he did a lot of work before you took over”
“And I will love to state that between 2009 and 2016 when the NDC took in charge, the average production has hovered around, 800,000 metric tons, this is certainly higher than the NPP’s management of the cocoa sector of our economy between 2001 to 2008” He stated.
Dr. Ahmed also stated that the NPP’s accusation of incompetence on the part of the past NDC government was misplaced, because there is no prove to justify their claims.
“The Minister of Agriculture hit the roof when this same statement was referred to him, because a journalist was quoting another person in his party who described him as incompetent” He opium.
Dr. Ahmed is of the believe that if hard work is referred to as incompetence then he will go for that assertion.
He was speaking on Ahotor FM’s morning show in a studio discussion with its host Emmanuel Quarshie (Hit man) on Wednesday, 6th September, 2017
Daniel Koranteng Kwagyiri|ahotoronline.com|Ghana
