The Executive Director of the Institute for Economic Research and Public Policy (IERPP), Prof. Isaac Boadi, has criticised the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, over comments suggesting that some beneficiaries of the government’s Nkoko Nkitinkiti programme were consuming the birds instead of breeding them.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Prof. Boadi said the Minister’s remarks had weakened public confidence in the initiative and undermined its intended purpose.
According to him, the Minister should have used his appearance before Parliament’s Assurance Committee to account for the programme’s progress and highlight its achievements.
“When he appeared before the Assurance Committee, he was supposed to tell us the gains. He was supposed to show us where we could get some of the birds from the Nkoko Nkitinkiti project,” he said.
Prof. Boadi argued that the Minister’s disclosure that he had received videos of beneficiaries consuming the birds instead of breeding them had created a negative public perception.
“When he said he was receiving videos that people were consuming the birds, for me, he destroyed the initiative with that statement. Listening to him on that day, he destroyed the entire programme,” he stated.
He maintained that while the objective of the Nkoko Nkitinkiti programme is commendable, government must provide regular updates on its implementation and outcomes.
“The intent behind the policy is clear—to increase self-sufficiency from 12 per cent to 75 per cent. So, after a year, we should be able to know the progress,” he added.
He urged the government to provide transparent information on the number of birds distributed, survival rates, production outcomes, and the impact of the programme on local poultry farmers.
Prof. Boadi noted that public confidence is critical to the success of government interventions, adding that communication from officials must focus on demonstrating results rather than raising concerns that could discourage participation.
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