There's no acrimony between Agric and Finance Ministers — Dafeamekpor
Majority Chief Whip in Parliament, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has dismissed suggestions of tensions between Minister for Food and Agriculture Eric Opoku and Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson.
His comments come after the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) rejected claims by the Ministry of Finance that it had released GH¢1.677 billion to support the ministry's activities in 2026, describing the figure as inconsistent with official budget execution documents.
The dispute emerged after Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem announced during the launch of Ghana's National Pact for Agricultural Transformation, Food Security and Employment (AgriConnect Compact) that the government had released GH¢1.677 billion, representing 85 percent of MOFA's approved budget for Goods and Services and Capital Expenditure (CAPEX).
However, MOFA subsequently clarified that while the Finance Ministry had issued a Commitment Authorization on February 15, it later capped the ministry's expenditure for the first half of 2026 at GH¢910 million through a First and Second Quarter Budget Allotment Letter issued on February 19.
The disagreement has fueled speculation among some political commentators that the two ministers may be at odds due to perceived ambitions to lead the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2028 presidential election.
Speaking on Accra-based TV3's New Day programme on Saturday, June 6, Dafeamekpor rejected the claims.
“There's no acrimony between the Finance Minister and the Agriculture Minister,” he stated.
The South Dayi MP argued that discussions about potential successors to President John Dramani Mahama were natural in any political party and should not be interpreted as evidence of divisions within government.