The Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Haruna Mohammed, has expressed concern over the reported tensions between Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and Minister for Food and Agriculture Eric Opoku, warning that the disagreement could undermine governance and affect Ghana’s agricultural sector.

Speaking on Citi FM, on Friday, June 5, Haruna Mohammed described the reported friction between the two ministers as troubling and urged both sides to put an end to what he termed a power struggle.

According to him, the dispute goes beyond the individuals involved and has the potential to weaken public confidence in government institutions and the country’s agricultural system.

“I’m worried as a Ghanaian, a farmer and also as a politician. Because this goes further to affect the very foundation of our agricultural system. It also affects the trust system. It also affects the power system within the governance state. I believe that what is happening now is very worrying,” he said.

Haruna Mohammed further suggested that resources intended for national development should not be used as instruments in political or administrative disagreements.

“If you have resources with me, I will sit on them and paint a picture that you refused to perform, while you have it,” he stated.

He called on all parties involved to resolve their differences and ensure a level playing field to promote effective governance and service delivery.

“The power struggle should stop, the fight, propaganda should stop, let everybody have a level playing ground,” he added.

His comments come amid a public disagreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) over claims regarding the release of funds for agricultural programmes in 2026.

The Ministry of Finance maintains that it has released more than GH¢1.6 billion to MoFA, representing about 85 per cent of the ministry’s budget allocation for Goods and Services and Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) this year.

According to the ministry, releases for Goods and Services have reached 94.73 per cent, while CAPEX disbursements stand at 74.66 per cent, which it says demonstrates strong budget execution.

The ministry also explained that, with the exception of funding for the National Food Buffer Stock Company, all releases were initiated by MoFA through the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and were supported by the necessary approval processes and documentation.

It argued that the procedure reflects standard public financial management practices applied across all ministries, departments and agencies.

However, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has challenged the figures, describing them as inconsistent with official budget execution records issued by the Finance Ministry itself.

The disagreement has since sparked public debate over funding for the agricultural sector and the relationship between the two ministries.

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