The minority in parliament has disputed president Akufo-Addo’s claim that the new government secured some USD 125 million from the Canadian government to begin the NPP government’s flagship agric programme, “Operation Planting for Food and Jobs”.
President Akufo-Addo repeated this in his maiden State of the Nation Address to parliament delivered Tuesday, February 21, 2017 after it was announced by the sector Minister, Owusu Afriyie Akoto.
But NDC Member of Parliament for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini, the money was secured by the Mahama administration to open up the agric sector, hence the President ought to have acknowledged the efforts of the erstwhile Mahama administration for that feat.
In his submission on the floor of parliament, Alhassan Suhuyini said the facility was a budgetary support that has been coming from the Canadian government, insisting there is records to show for that claim.
“The Canadian first Secretary in charge of Development, paid a visit to the then Agric Minister, Alhaji Muniru Limuna and announced this facility and assured that the disbursement was going to start in March this year. So it would hurt nothing, if the President acknowledged the contribution of the former administration,” he said.
Earlier this month, the Minister for Agric, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto announced a One hundred and twenty million dollar facility secured from the Canadian government to begin the “Planting for Foods and Jobs” project and vision scheduled to take off in March, by the Akufo-Addo-led government.
The President at this year’s New Year School held at the University of Ghana, Legon, last month indicated his commitment to launch the project to solve a two-prong problem of employment and food sufficiency in the country.
Per this plan the NPP administration is expected to boost its gains in the agric sector within the next two years to ensure sustainability and growth within the sector.
According to the Minister for Agric, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto , the initiative is designed to encourage all citizens both rural and urban dwellers to take up farming as a full time or part time activity.
The new policy will take off fully in March, and the next farming season will create over 750,000 jobs for the youth, government says.
