Former Minister of Food and Agriculture and NPP Flagbearer aspirant, Bryan Acheampong, has fired back at former COCOBOD CEO Joseph Boahen Aidoo over claims about the abolition of syndicated loans for cocoa purchases.
Speaking on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Acheampong insisted that as sector minister at the time, he played a pivotal role in championing the policy.
“In the end, it is the government, the President, who takes credit, and then we move on. But to say that the minister cannot take credit for it can only be politics,” he said.
He further suggested that Mr. Aidoo’s comments were politically motivated.
“I dare say that because of where he stands in these NPP political primaries, that’s why he is saying this. I even saw a post from his son showing support for Dr. Bawumia, and I am aware of where he stands politically. So he is trying to score political points with these claims,” Mr. Acheampong added.
The former minister disclosed the procedural steps behind the policy, pointing out that the sector minister plays a central role in shepherding such initiatives.
“It is not ingenious for anyone to come out and discredit me. This is a major policy decision. You cannot claim it as yours when the government had not yet taken a final decision.
“After that, we went through the process to get the Economic Management Team and the government subcommittee’s approval before final implementation. There will be agreements and disagreements, but when it is done, the sector minister takes ownership,” he stressed.
Mr. Acheampong’s comments come after Mr. Boahen Aidoo, under whose management the policy was introduced, accused the former minister of “hypocritically” seeking credit for the abolition of syndicated loans.
In a viral video, Mr. Acheampong had told NPP delegates that the policy was his vision and that it had saved the country money.
His office also issued a statement highlighting his role in implementing the self-financing model.
Mr. Aidoo, however, hit back strongly in a press statement, calling Acheampong’s claim “blatant intellectual plagiarism and dishonesty” and expressing surprise that the former minister could claim credit for a policy he “vehemently opposed” during his tenure.
Source: Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy
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