Bryan Acheampong, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, has disclosed that he spoke with the National Food Suppliers Association members on July 6 and let them know that the payment process had already started.

He noted that the first instalment is anticipated to be paid out on Monday, July 17, 2023.

“Luckily, there has been a reconciliation and payment is being processed for them and it will be paid to them starting July 17. I can assure you that from July 17, those who have supplied and have been cleared will be paid their money.”
Bryan Acheampong

The GH278 million owed to members of the National Food Suppliers Association who have been camping on the grounds of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) since Tuesday, July 4, will now be paid.

The protest merely served to push the government to publicly announce the payment date, Bryan Acheampong continued, adding that the payment was not made in response to the protest of the offended members.

“There was no need to have the protest for these people to be paid from July 17, they are not being paid because they have protested. Because we had the timelines on when they were going to receive the money and the protest has only forced us to come out to tell them the date for the payment. And so I told them that it was not because of the protest that they were being paid.”
Bryan Acheampong

Problem Resurfaced With Minority Caucus

According to Bryan Acheampong, his Friday, July 7 altercation with Minority Caucus members at the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) was a shocking encounter.

As stated by him, the Minority Caucus is allegedly behind the dissatisfied suppliers’ reappearance. He claimed to have met with them on Thursday, July 6, and that they agreed to leave the Buffer Stock Company’s property after a constructive discussion.

According to Mr. Acheampong, he was later notified on Friday, July 7 that the association’s members had come together and were meeting with the Minority, which he claimed, shocked him.

“We discussed a roadmap to a solution and the people agreed and left. I drove past the Buffer Stock Company at 12 am [Thursday, July 6] and I saw only two of the protesters. When I went there this morning, I saw the same two because they were supposed to go home and have a meeting on Monday.
“Around 3 pm, I had information that they have regrouped and that the Minority had gone there with food and other things. And so when I got there, I told the Minority Leader that what they were doing is not right, and so I confronted them in my state of shock.”
Bryan Acheampong

He stressed that when he had previously visited the vicinity, he had already reached an understanding and resolved the issue with the picketers, who were then instructed to return home, which some of them did. He further asserted that he intended to let them know that they will be paid and that a meeting would be held on Monday.

“That was the end of the matter and so for them to all of a sudden come back to meet the Minority with cameras, was a show,” he said.