Dennis Miracles Aboagye, Spokesperson for the NPP Flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to rein in Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson over the ongoing disagreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) regarding 2026 budget releases.
The rift between the two ministries centres on how much of MoFA’s 2026 budget has actually been released versus what has been received and reported.
While the Ministry of Finance has stated that about GH¢1.67 billion, representing roughly 85 percent of MoFA’s approved 2026 budget, has been released to support key agricultural programmes such as fertiliser distribution, poultry initiatives, irrigation projects and farmers’ service centres, MoFA has pushed back on the claim.
The Agriculture Ministry insists that the figures being communicated by the Finance Ministry do not reflect actual releases received, arguing that available funds are significantly lower than what has been publicly stated.
Amid the back-and-forth, Miracles Aboagye said the situation reflects poor coordination at the highest level of government and requires urgent presidential intervention to prevent further escalation.
He directly urged the President to step in and rein in the Finance Minister, whom he accused of being at the centre of the controversy.
“I think the President… should put the Finance Minister on a Zoom call asap,” he said, adding that “all these troubles and problems are stemming from the Finance Minister.”
Miracles further alleged that the Finance Minister is selectively prioritising the release of funds to certain ministries, particularly the Roads and Energy sectors, while leaving others, including the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ministry of Education, struggling with inadequate disbursements.
He maintained that the public disagreement between the two ministries is damaging and signals a breakdown in leadership and communication within government’s economic management team.
He argued that the President must assert authority over his appointees, particularly the Finance Minister, to restore clarity and coordination in agricultural financing.
The dispute has sparked wider political debate over budget transparency and implementation, with conflicting claims from both ministries over the actual level of financial support provided to agriculture in the 2026 fiscal year.
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