Food suppliers stage overnight protest at National Food Buffer Stock premises

Demonstrators sleeping at the premises

National Food Suppliers Association Holds Overnight Protest at NAFCO Premises, Demanding Payment of Overdue Arrears

Members of the National Food Suppliers Association staged a protest on July 4, spending the night at the premises of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) to voice their grievances regarding unpaid arrears for food supplies made to various schools over the past two years.

Suppliers from different parts of Ghana gathered at NAFCO’s premises, aiming to intensify their demands, although their initial efforts did not yield the desired outcome.

The association claims that the company owes them a total amount of GHS270 million.

Kwaku Amedume, the spokesperson for the group, addressed the issue on The Citizen Show hosted by Kwabena Bobie Ansah on Accra 100.5 FM on Tuesday, June 4, 2023.

Amedume stressed that the protest would persist until their payments were received from the buffer stock company.

He expressed suspicions of misconduct within NAFCO, citing the Minister of Education’s confirmation that all payments had been made to the company. Amedume highlighted the repeated promises of payment made by the CEO of NAFCO, Hanan Abdul-Wahab, during phone conversations with the suppliers. However, these assurances have proven fruitless over time, prompting the decision to stage the protest.

During the demonstration, the association brought along their mattresses, gas cookers, cylinders, and food supplies, intending to cook their own meals on-site until the outstanding payments were settled by NAFCO.

The suppliers seek resolution and fair treatment for their financial claims, hoping to find a satisfactory agreement with the buffer stock company.