The Ministry of Education has addressed allegations made by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa regarding the distribution of 22,000 bags of rice to Senior High Schools (SHSs) that were allegedly expired and repackaged.
In its response, the Ministry assured the public that the rice in question was certified as safe for consumption by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).
Ablakwa had claimed that the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) worked with Lamens Investments Africa Limited to distribute rice that had expired in December 2023. He also alleged that the rice was repackaged in locally made sacks with misleading labels such as “ECOWAS” and “Made in Ghana rice,” and that the bags lacked an expiry date.
On Thursday, November 14, 2024, the Ministry confirmed that an investigation had been initiated into the matter. Kwasi Kwarteng, the Ministry’s spokesperson, clarified that NAFCO had engaged Lamens Ventures to procure the rice for distribution. While the rice was originally imported with an expiry date of December 2023, some of it remained unsupplied by the end of the year.
Following FDA guidance, Lamens Ventures sent the rice for re-testing in India to determine whether its shelf life could be extended. After re-evaluation, the FDA confirmed that the rice was still safe for consumption and approved a new “Best Before” date of April 30, 2024.
Kwarteng stressed that the rice distributed to schools in February 2024 had been certified as safe by the FDA. He also noted that Lamens Ventures had requested and received FDA approval to re-bag the remaining stock with updated expiration labels, which reflected the new shelf life.
However, Ablakwa has maintained his position that the rice was expired and unfit for consumption, rejecting the FDA’s certification of the product.
