North Tongu MP and whistleblower in the expired rice scandal, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has accused the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) of facilitating the distribution of expired rice to Senior High Schools (SHS) across the country.
According to him, the FDA disregarded its own examination results from February 6, which highlighted concerns about the quality of the re-bagged rice.
Speaking on JoyFM’s Top Story on Thursday, November 21, Mr. Ablakwa claimed that the results revealed high insect infestations and elevated fat acidity levels, which medical professionals reviewing the report indicated rendered the rice unfit for consumption.
The North Tongu MP stated that the FDA’s investigation into the matter cannot be trusted and called for an independent inquiry.
“Let’s have an independent inquiry into this matter. The FDA is complicit, and they have questions to answer. The top officials at the FDA must be fired,” he said.
His comments follow a statement by the Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs at the FDA, Joseph Yaw-Bernie, who asserted that the authority followed due process in approving the rice for distribution.
Yaw-Bernie explained that rigorous tests conducted by the FDA, the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and an accredited laboratory in India confirmed that the rice met quality standards at the time of testing.
“Those three laboratory tests tell us that the product can still be used based on the qualities that have been tested in the three laboratories. Based on that, the best-before date has been extended to April, not December as requested by the manufacturer. It was still safe. The issue at stake was the quality, and the three laboratories confirmed the quality of the rice,” he stressed.
Despite the FDA’s assurances, Mr. Ablakwa questioned why the re-bagged rice did not bear the updated best-before date, leaving headmasters and matrons unaware of its revised expiry.
“Even this so-called extension—why didn’t they state it on the re-bagged rice that it is approved until April 2024, so that the headmasters and matrons would know?” he queried.
He also raised concerns that rice supplied to schools often remains in storage for extended periods and could be consumed well beyond the new best-before date.
The MP further alleged that the FDA knowingly allowed the expired rice to be distributed and consumed past its safe period, accusing the authority of bowing to external pressures.
“You have an institution that is complicit. They didn’t make sure that the rice was destroyed.
“They didn’t stand by their original FDA examination results. They were arm-twisted to change the results to allow this company, which appears untouchable, to pay only part of its fine and avoid prosecution as required by law,” he said.
Mr. Ablakwa called for severe sanctions against those involved in the scandal, insisting that individuals must face the full rigours of the law.
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