No Rice Disappeared Under Government Programme- Dumelo Insists

Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament of Ghana on Monday as part of the Committee’s review of the Auditor General’s Special Audit Report on government outstanding claims and commitments, the Deputy Minister stated that no rice had been stolen or lost.

The clarification followed Davis Ansah Opoku, Vice Chairman of the Committee and Member of Parliament for the Mpraeso Constituency’s direct question to officials from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

“Has your rice gone missing or been stolen?” the Vice Chairman asked during proceedings. In response to the question, Mr Dumelo gave the Committee a definitive assurance; “No.”

The exchange was part of the Committee’s investigation into issues raised in the audit report concerning the transportation and distribution of imported rice and maize under an emergency government programme.

Officials from the Ministry explained to the Committee that the concerns raised in the report mainly related to verification and documentation issues concerning the execution of a logistics contract other than the disappearance of any food stocks.

They indicated that quantities of rice and maize had been transported under the programme, while the remaining parts of the contract were still to be executed at the time the audit was carried out.

The Ministry further assured the Committee that measures were being implemented to improve documentation, stock verification procedures, and coordination among agencies involved in the storage and distribution of commodities.

The Public Accounts Committee is currently examining the Auditor General’s Special Audit Report on government claims and commitments as part of its oversight duties.

The Committee is expected to resume hearings with other ministries, departments, and agencies in the coming days.