By Issah Olegor
A public disagreement over the release of budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has sparked fresh political storm within the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), with observers linking the controversy to the emerging battle over who succeeds President John Dramani Mahama as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2028 general elections.
The controversy erupted after Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem announced during a presentation to stakeholders and development partners that the government had released GH¢1.677 billion to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, representing 85 percent of the ministry’s approved 2026 budget for goods, services, and capital expenditure.
According to the Finance Ministry, the funds were intended to support the government’s agricultural transformation agenda, including investments in mechanization, fertilizer distribution, irrigation projects, Farmer Service Centres, poultry production support programmes, food security initiatives, and other interventions designed to boost agricultural productivity.
The announcement was widely circulated by state agencies and media outlets, with government officials presenting it as evidence of the Mahama administration’s commitment to revitalizing the agricultural sector.
Finance Ministry officials maintained that substantial resources had already been made available to support the implementation of key agricultural programmes and projects across the country.
However, the claim quickly met resistance from officials associated with the Agriculture Ministry. In a strongly worded rebuttal, Dr. Michael Boakye, an aide to Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku, challenged the Finance Ministry’s figures, insisting that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture had not received the amount being claimed publicly.
He reportedly described the announcement as inaccurate and misleading, arguing that it created a false impression among international development partners and stakeholders regarding the actual flow of funds to the ministry.
The rebuttal has drawn significant attention because it comes at a time when concerns are growing within sections of government and the public about delays in the release of budgetary allocations to ministries, departments, and agencies.
The Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson has been accused of starving key ministries of budgetary funding, making them limping.
Critics of the Finance Ministry have on several occasions alleged that approved funds are not reaching institutions on time, thereby affecting project implementation and service delivery.
While such claims have repeatedly surfaced in public discourse, the Finance Ministry has consistently maintained that budget releases are being undertaken in accordance with fiscal management priorities and available resources.
Beyond the financial dispute, the exchange has inevitably taken on a political dimension due to the identities of the principal figures involved.
Both Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson and Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku are increasingly being mentioned among potential contenders for the NDC’s presidential nomination ahead of the 2028 elections. With President Mahama expected to complete his final term in office, discussions surrounding his eventual successor have intensified despite repeated warnings from party leadership against premature campaigning.
Only days ago, Eric Opoku publicly declared his readiness to contest the NDC flagbearership if party delegates believe he is the best candidate to lead the party and the country.
Speaking on Asempa FM, he emphasized that politics was fundamentally about service and stated that he would not shy away from greater responsibility if entrusted with it by party members.
Similarly, Dr. Ato Forson has long been regarded by political observers as one of the strongest contenders in any future NDC leadership race.
His stewardship of the Finance Ministry and his prominent role in shaping the Mahama administration’s economic policies have elevated his profile within the party and among grassroots supporters.
The budget release dispute therefore comes at a sensitive moment, with some political analysts suggesting that disagreements which might ordinarily remain administrative are now being viewed through the lens of the looming succession battle.
While neither minister has publicly linked the controversy to internal party politics, supporters of both camps have already begun interpreting the disagreement as an early indication of the intense competition likely to characterize the NDC’s next presidential primary.
The development also comes against the backdrop of repeated calls from the Presidency for government appointees to focus on governance rather than succession politics.
President Mahama’s Executive Secretary, Callistus Mahama, cautioned party members and government officials against engaging in premature campaigns, warning that such activities could distract the administration from delivering on its mandate.
The NDC Council of Elders later echoed similar concerns and urged all potential aspirants to place the success of the government above personal political ambitions.
Despite those appeals, political maneuvering within the ruling party appears to be gathering pace.
Alongside Ato Forson and Eric Opoku, other names frequently mentioned as possible successors to Mahama include NDC National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, and Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang.
