‘I misled Ghanaians over SADA story’

The Ghanaian Times Upper West Regional Reporter, Mr. Cliff Ekufu, has accepted blames and responsibilities that he misled the entire country on a front page story carried by the newspaper purporting that the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) imported maize seeds from South Africa and Brazil to the detriment of Ghanaian seed producers.

Similarly, the President of Seed Producers of Ghana (SeedPAG), Naa Bawa Seidu also denied and disowned the story, which sought to malign SADA.

Findings from a seven-page report commissioned by SADA revealed that the Ghanaian Times front page story was false and unfounded. Consequently, all the allegations leveled against SADA were also untrue. Indeed, the report on the findings described the story as falsehood, full of fabrications and misleading facts.

To corroborate the report, the Ghanaian Times reporter unequivocally accepted before a team of investigators that a photograph used by the newspaper was actually not from the purported maize seeds warehouse; but a Yara fertilizer warehouse of “Antika” as depicted by the newspaper. Mr. Ekufu therefore accepted blame and responsibilities for the misguided and damaging reportage he made.

A five-member team of investigators were made up of Dr. Charles Jebuni, Chief Technical Adviser of SADA, Dr. Wilson Dogbe, Senior Research Scientist & Head of Northern Region Farming Systems Research Group and Mr. Sam Danse, Director, Corporate Affairs, Human Resources & Administration of SADA.

The rest were Mr. Hudu Abu, Deputy Regional Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for the Upper West Region and Mr. Omar Ibn Mohammed, Regional Officer, Seed Inspection Division of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for the Upper West Region. It took the team four days to come up with the findings.

The Upper West Regional Minister, Dr. Avea Nsoh was briefed by the team in the presence of the media including Mr. Cliff Ekufu.