Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu and Chairman of the Assurance Committee, has alleged a scheme to distribute expired and contaminated rice from India to Senior High School students in Ghana.
In a detailed exposé shared on social media, Ablakwa claims that this operation is being orchestrated in collaboration with the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), under the leadership of its CEO, Alhaji Hanan Abdul-Wahab, who is also the NPP’s Parliamentary Candidate for Pusiga, and Board Chairman Henry Nana Boakye, the NPP’s National Organiser.
According to Ablakwa, the Ashanti Regional Office of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and local police began investigating the issue on December 20, 2023, following a whistleblower’s report. He supported his claims with an intercepted FDA report signed by the Ashanti Regional Head, John Laryea Odai-Tettey.
The report indicates that Lamens Investments Africa Limited imported over 33,000 bags of “Moshosho rice,” a 25% broken rice variety, from India’s Satya Balajee Rice Industries PVT Ltd. NAFCO was listed as the notified party for this shipment.
The FDA’s investigation revealed that 22,000 bags of the rice were stored at NAFCO’s Kumasi facility, with another 10,000 kept in a bonded warehouse in Tema.
Upon discovering that the rice’s expiration date was December 2023, Lamens Investments and NAFCO allegedly began repackaging the expired rice into new bags labeled “CEDAO ECOWAS Regional Food Security Reserve,” which lacked expiration dates. This activity involved replacing the original yellow bags with plain white ones.
Ablakwa further alleged that despite the gravity of the misconduct, Lamens Investments—awarded the contract without competitive bidding—was fined only GHS 100,000. Half of this fine has reportedly been paid, while the other half remains unpaid.
Meanwhile, the repackaged rice has allegedly been distributed to several Senior High Schools, including PRESEC, Legon, and Bolga Girls, posing serious health risks to students. Ablakwa warns of potential long-term effects, such as gastrointestinal issues, nutritional deficiencies, and exposure to harmful toxins.
In response, Ablakwa is demanding immediate sanctions against NAFCO’s management for facilitating these actions and operating unregistered storage facilities. He is also calling for an investigation into the Ministry of Education’s role in what he describes as a “despicable affair.”
