Excellent Ghana, a civil society group, has accused National Women’s Organiser for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and former Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Hannah Louisa Bissiw of misusing funds meant to compensate farmers whose birds were affected by the outbreak of Bird Flu in 2015.

The group says it has been observing with keen interest, the matters and issues arising from the outbreak of Bird Flu (Highly) Pathogenic Avian Influenza HPAI H5NI) in Ghana since 2015.

It added that while commending government for adopting tough measures to contain the bird flu outbreak, the Civil Society Organization said it is shocked, at the revelation by Mr. Victor Oppong, President of the Ghana Poultry Farmers Association that, majority of their members whose birds/farms were destroyed owing to the Bird Flu outbreak are yet to be compensated five solid years after their livelihoods have been destroyed.

The CSO, said, it is appalled by the explanation from the then Deputy Minister of Agriculture in charge of Livestock, Dr. Louisa Hannah Bissiw, that monies allocated for the compensation of poultry farmers whose farms were affected by the disease, had been used for logistics and administrative expenditure notwithstanding the government’s initial purchase of six vehicles, 20 motorbikes and the establishment of laboratories to help contain the bird flu disease outside the amount received for compensation.

“In performing our proper role and constitutional duty of demanding accountability and transparency, it is our conviction, that, her farcical and ludicrous position confirms that Dr. Louisa Hannah Bissiw (Deputy Minister of Agric – as she then was) neglected her duty of care and still appears unrepentant in helping the farmers receive compensation but is rather adding insult to injuries”, President for the group, Carl Addo, said in a statement copied to Atinkaonline.com.

The group has called on Hannah Bissiw to tell Ghanaians, among other things, how much funds was entirely devoted by the John Dramani Mahama government and other bodies for the containment of bird flu between 2015-2016.

Read full statement below

TO ALL MEDIA HOUSES

EXCELLENT GHANA GRILLS DR. HANNAH BISSIW OVER BIRD FLU COMPENSATION

BIRD FLU COMPENSATION DIVERTED?- Excellent Ghana asks Hannah Bissiw

Did you superintend over corruption? Excellent Ghana asks Dr. Hannah Bissiw

Accra, September 9TH 2020:- Excellent Ghana has been observing with keen interest, the matters and issues arising from the outbreak of Bird Flu (Highly

Pathogenic Avian Influenza HPAI H5NI) in Ghana since 2015. While commending government for adopting tough measures to contain the bird flu outbreak, the Civil Society Organization says it is shocked, at the revelation by Mr. Victor Oppong, President of the Ghana Poultry Farmers Association that, majority of their members whose birds/farms were destroyed owing to the Bird Flu outbreak are yet to be compensated five solid years after their livelihoods have been destroyed.

The CSO, says, it is appalled by the explanation from the then Deputy Minister of Agriculture in charge of Livestock, Dr. Louisa Hannah Bissiw, that monies allocated for the compensation of poultry farmers whose farms were affected by the disease, had been used for logistics and administrative expenditure notwithstanding the government’s initial purchase of six vehicles, 20 motorbikes and the establishment of laboratories to help contain the bird flu disease outside the amount received for compensation.

In performing our proper role and constitutional duty of demanding accountability and transparency, it is our conviction, that, her farcical and ludicrous position confirms that Dr. Louisa Hannah Bissiw (Deputy Minister of Agric – as she then was) neglected her duty of care and still appears unrepentant in helping the farmers receive compensation but is rather adding insult to injuries.

Excellent Ghana therefore calls on our venerable Dr. Hannah Bissiw (being directly in charge then) and indeed the government to assuage our fears by clearly telling our suffering poultry farmers and Ghanaians;

1. How much funds was entirely voted by the John Dramani Mahama government and other bodies for the containment of bird flu between 2015-2016?

2. How much of the released amount was actually paid to affected poultry farmers?

3. An account of the how these monies were expended notwithstanding any report from PIAC?

4. Under what circumstances and under whose control was the amount released for the COMPENSATION of farmers affected by the bird flu disease, disbursed?

5. What provisions and procedures were followed in disbursing the funds released for compensation if due diligence was firstly done at all?

6. Has Ghana suffered any financial loss/ misappropriation from the use of released monies for the compensation of poultry farmers, with regards to the Bird flu outbreak in 2015 and if so, are there grounds to charge anyone with the offence of “causing financial loss”??

7. Were these said monies underutilized” through negligence, criminal activity or any other illegal or wrongful act, and if so, who was responsible for it?

8. How come about 36 bird flu affected Poultry farmers remain uncompensated if they were to be covered by the total monies received for the bird flu compensation?

9. Where are the separate cars Dr. Bissiw claims the compensation monies was used to buy, and in what state are these vehicles?

Especially when our further checks reveal, that, the Ministry of Agriculture, received GHc7 out of the 11m requested from government, (forming more than half of the requested amount) but failed to compensate even half the total number of affected farmers.

In creating this problem, has our former Deputy Minister of Agric Dr. Louisa Hanna Bissiw not increased the chances of individuals/ farmers getting dishonest and nicodemously selling off any infected farm produce in the future, for fear of suffering losses?

Yours in perpetual service to God and country