The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ministry of Education, Kwasi Kwarteng, says the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has declared the 22,000 bags of supposed expired rice, which were distributed to secondary schools across the country as wholesome for consumption.

Last week, the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, alleged that the Free Senior High School Secretariat had distributed 22,000 bags of 50kg of expired rice to various schools.

Read also: 22,000 bags of expired rice allegedly distributed to SHSs across Ghana – Ablakwa

According to Mr Ablakwa, the rice had expired but was repackaged and distributed to the schools. He also noted that the FDA had fined Lamens, the company that allegedly repackaged the expired rice and sold it to the government an amount of GH₵100,000.

During a press briefing on Monday, November 18, the Minority in Parliament, led by Mr Ablakwa, called for the arrest of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lamens and other directors of the company.

In an interview on Joy News after the press briefing by NDC MPs, Mr Kwarteng clarified that the rice had not expired, despite the MP's continued claims. He explained that the FDA did not fine Lamens for distributing unwholesome food, but rather for failing to obtain FDA approval before repackaging the rice.

“For the record, Lamens was fined for not getting authorisation for the repackaging of the food. It has nothing to do with the declaration of the wholesomeness of the food,” he said.

Mr Kwarteng further explained that the "best before" date on the rice was December 2023. However, the rice importers [Lamens] had requested an extension of the expiry date from the FDA but proceeded with repackaging before receiving approval.

According to the PRO, the FDA later fined the company for proceeding with the repackaging without the necessary permit.

He argued that the MP’s claim that expired food was distributed was unfounded, as the FDA did not declare the rice as expired at the time of repackaging.

“The FDA did not fine Lamens for unwholesome food. The best-before date was apparently extended, but what they were fined for was the fact that they didn’t get approval for the repackaging,” he said.

"Who would fine an agency just GH₵100,000 for supplying 22,000 bags of unwholesome food? Who, even in the Ministry of Education, would approve the distribution of 22,000 bags of unwholesome rice to schools across Ghana? Would the Minister of Education sit there and say that 22,000 bags of rice should be distributed to schools, knowing they were unwholesome, and we would all just sit there and clap over it?" he quizzed.

Mr Kwarteng then accused Mr Ablakwa of pursuing an "agenda to create a needless alarm."