Minister of Defence Dr. Edward Omane Boamah has criticised the previous Akufo-Addo administration for neglecting debts owed to food suppliers of the Ghana Armed Forces for 17 months.
He accused the administration of allowing the debt to accumulate without making any payments.
However, Dr. Omane Boamah emphasised that the current Mahama administration is addressing the issue with the recent approval of the Ministry of Defence’s over Ghc6 billion budget by Parliament.
This approval is expected to help clear the GHc275 million debt owed to food suppliers for the period between August 2023 and December 2024.
Dr. Omane Boamah further stated that the government is also advancing mechanised farming to reduce food expenses while helping to curb inflation.
In a Facebook post on March 27, he highlighted a recent food donation to the Ghana Armed Forces, which included:
- 5,000 5kg bags of rice
- 6,255 bottles of cooking oil
- 4,800 tins of mackerel
- 4,800 tins of tomatoes
He expressed that this gesture was meant to honour the sacrifices of the men and women in uniform and boost their morale. The minister thanked philanthropist Ibrahim Mahama of Dzata Cement for supporting the initiative.
Dr. Omane Boamah was in Parliament with his Deputy Minister, Brogya Genfi, Chief Director, and Service Chiefs to present the motion for the Ministry of Defence’s budget.
He extended his gratitude to Parliament and the Defence, Interior, and Security Committee for their approval.
The approved budget is a crucial step that will allow the Minister of Finance to begin the process of settling the long-overdue debt to the food suppliers.
Dr. Omane Boamah concluded by reminding Ghanaians of the 17 months of unpaid debts under the previous administration and reiterated the government’s commitment to resolving these issues while also working towards food self-sufficiency through mechanized farming.
