Mr President you are a champion! – Johnnie Hughes tells Akufo-Addo over importation of China cassava

TV3’s broadcaster and NewDay host, Mr Johnnie Beresford Hughes has taken a swipe at the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo following report Ghana is now importing cassava from China.

 Speaking on Johnnie’s Bite on TV3 NewDay on Monday, March 28, monitored by GhanaPlus.com he said the development is unheard of in the country’s history.

Mr Hughes described the President as a champion for allowing such importation under his administration despite his flagship planting for food and jobs programme.

“….But Mr President you are a champion. You are a champion because under your watch there are ministers making flip flop decisions and you are allowing them. You have not reshuffle them. You are a champion because you stood in Parliament and told us that we are a net exporter of food. Today we are being told after the denial came that we are importing cassava and that the cassava is for industrial purposes, as If to suggest that our planting for food and jobs business is dead. You are a champion, Mr President, can we not plant cassava in this country? and China is where now we collect cassava from. China, we buy cassava in every home in this country, almost every home I should say,” he said.

“……Under your watch today, we are importing cassava from China….Listen and President Kufour, your predecessor  under whose administration  you served had a presidential initiative on cassava, do you remember root beer by the Accra Brew way? Today we are importing cassava and you are telling us that it is for industrial purpose … I thought you told us that you have given the Agric sector the needed support and we are now a net exporter of food.  We importing tomatoes from Morocco, we importing onion from Burkina Faso, we are importing yam, we are importing everything. So the amount of money we have spent on Planting for Food and Jobs plus what you told us in 2017 that you have employed 745,000 people, is this the result ? that you are now importing cassava aside tomatoes, union, pepper all those things rice, you are now importing cassava,” Mr Hughes stressed.

“Mr President, if you are champion, be a champion properly, if you are a champion be a champion properly because importing cassava is unheard of”.

Ghana import cassava from China

Ghana is said to be importing some $32.4k in cassava from China currently.

The development report said has been in existence since 2019.

The Ranking Member on the Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee of Parliament who also doubles as the Member of Parliament for the Asunafo South Constituency, Mr Eric Opoku made the revelation on an Accra base radio station, Accra FM.

He explained “No government has exhibited this abysmal level of performance since the coming into being of the 1992 constitution…Yet, this government is quick to tell Ghanaians that Ghana is exporting foodstuffs to neighbouring countries

Source: GhanaPlus.com