He expressed concern that the NPP might misuse the funds, drawing parallels to the alleged mismanagement of COVID-19 relief funds.
John Dramani Mahama, flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has issued a stern warning that his party will not tolerate any attempt to divert funds meant for drought victims in Northern Ghana to individuals sympathetic to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
John Dramani Mahama
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Mahama called on the government to involve local chiefs in the distribution process to ensure transparency and accountability.
He stated, “The NPP has made things difficult and because of their bad luck, it didn’t rain this year. As we speak, Parliament is yet to approve compensation for the drought victims. We won’t allow them to share the funds among themselves like they did with the COVID funds.”
John Dramani Mahama
Pulse Ghana
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“The support must reach the intended beneficiaries, and we’ll be watching closely. The chiefs must be allowed to be part of the distribution process.”
The government has requested GHS 500 million from the contingency fund to support affected farmers, pending parliamentary approval.
Govt allocates money for the farmers
The Minister for Finance, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, announced that the government has allocated 8 billion Ghana Cedis to support farmers affected by the ongoing dry spell.
“Our response may not entirely neutralise the extent of the problem. But our response certainly will help in stabilising the situation until we get out of the crisis,” Dr Amin Adam stated.
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He added, “We are seeking to raise about 500 million U.S. dollars, the equivalent of 8 billion Ghana Cedis, to fund the crisis response programme.”
The relief package includes cash transfers and the distribution of food and other essential items to those affected. A technical task force from the Ministries of Finance and Food and Agriculture will monitor the distribution to ensure transparency and accountability.
At a press briefing on Monday, 26 August, Dr Amin Adam explained that 2.5 billion Cedis of the allocated funds will be sourced from the contingency fund, with an additional 2.4 billion Cedis coming from development partners.
