Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei – Mensah says the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) will soon commence its own investigation into the expired Rice scandal for Senior High Schools.
According to the Regional Minister ,the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) must justify its decision to impose fine on the Company that imported the alleged expired rice instead of confiscating and destroying them.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, last week alleged that the Free Senior High School Secretariat had distributed 22,000 bags of 50kg of expired rice to various Senior High schools.
Mr Ablakwa asserted that, the rice had expired but was repackaged and distributed to the schools.
He also adduced documented evidence that the FDA fined Lamens, the company that allegedly repackaged the expired rice and sold it to the government an amount of GH₵100,000 and allowed the company to go ahead with the distribution.
However ,th Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ministry of Education, Kwasi Kwarteng, says the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) declared the 22,000 bags of supposed expired rice, wholesome for consumption
But speaking on Koforidua based Bryt FM Wednesday morning monitored by www.kumasimail.com the Ashanti Regional Minister questioned the actions of FDA to allow the alleged expired rice to be distributed to the schools
“If the FDA has seen that rice has expired but is being rebagged ,were they supposed to seize the rice or just impose a fine on the company.The rice has expired so if you imposed a fine on them thus it make it wholesome ? So it means FDA has also failed .so we are going to invite them to explain to us why they failed to confiscate the rice and destroy it rather fined them.so we are going to investigate” Simon Osei – Mensah said .
He said REGSEC will investigate the matter in collaboration with the stakeholders.
“We [REGSEC] are going to begin our own investigations. Every quarter we hold meeting with the Vice Chancellors and Members of CHASS ,plus head of TVET and Regional Education director on security in our campuses and welfare of our students in our schools.So we are going to investigate with them.we are not REGSEC that is sleeping on the job.So they have to give us the basis of the fine”
Source: www.kumasimail.com /Kojo Ansah/ Koforidua
