The New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, Kwaku Owusu Acheampong has justified the toilet roll and Joy Dadi bitters awarded some farmers at the National Famers’ Day held last Friday in the Eastern Region.

The MCE said there is nothing wrong with the items presented to the farmers because they were items the famers will have use for.

Addressing a news conference on Wednesday in Koforidua, Dr Acheampong said “…after all, the farmers don’t they take Joy Dadi bitters? Don’t they use toile rolls? What is wrong with us giving them T-roll and Joy bitters?”

 He said media representation of the award of the items “smack of unprofessionalism and jaundiced journalism with the intent to malign the New Juaben Municipality and the organizing committee of the event”.

He stressed that toilet roll and Joy Dadi bitters were not the main awards given to the farmers, but were among other items donated by spir­ited philanthropists who had made it a tradition to donate such items over the years to make the occasion a memorable one.

He insisted other items such as certifi­cates, boots, cutlasses, tri­cycles, herbicides and bicycles were part of the items awarded the farmers.

Dr. Acheampong stressed it was strange that the media highlighted on the T-rolls and Joy Dadi bitters which according to him was a mere display of unprofessionalism and calculated attempt to sabotage the entire pro­gramme.

A cross-section of the media in­cluding the Daily Heritage reported that, recipients of the 2014 Eastern Regional Best Farmers award held on Friday became embittered and sad when they were each presented with three pieces of toilet rolls and two bottles of Joy Dadi Bitters, a local gin with medicinal properties, as part of rewards for their contri­bution to sustainable agriculture in the country.

The angry farmers according to the Daily Heritage newspaper blasted the organisers for not putting together a befitting award packages for them.

"I'm highly disappointed over these toilet rolls and bitters pre­sented to me as reward, even look­ing at the cost of the whole pack­age," the newspaper quoted a disgruntled farmer.