Expired Rice Allegations Are Baseless Propaganda – Frema Opare Fires Back
Chief of Staff urges Ghanaians to focus on progress and rejects claims of distributing expired rice to Senior High Schools, as FDA confirms its safety
- Frema Opare dismisses expired rice claims as unfounded propaganda
- FDA confirms the rice distributed to schools was safe
- Minority in Parliament demands legal action against those implicated in the alleged scandal
Chief of Staff Frema Osei Opare has dismissed allegations about the distribution of repackaged expired rice to some Senior High Schools (SHSs), labeling them as unfounded propaganda and rumour-mongering.
The claims, spearheaded by North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, allege that 22,000 bags of expired rice were distributed to schools.
Ablakwa also accused the government of inaction after the Auditor-General flagged Lamens Ventures in 2021 for providing substandard food items.
Responding to the controversy, Frema Opare called for a focus on advancing education rather than spreading unverified claims.
“This is untrue. Let us focus on initiatives that benefit Ghanaian children and improve their opportunities to become responsible citizens,” she stated in an interview with.
The Ministry of Education’s Public Relations Officer, Kwasi Kwarteng, supported her remarks, clarifying that the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) certified the rice as safe for consumption. He noted that the FDA’s fine against Lamens Ventures was due to procedural violations during repackaging, not for distributing expired or unsafe food.
The Minority in Parliament has called for legal action against the directors of Lamens Ventures and sanctions against the National Food Buffer Stock Company, escalating tensions over the issue.
