Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has denied the existence of any rift between him and Food and Agriculture Minister, Eric Opoku, amidst reports of tension between the two ministries.
According to Ato Forson, he shares a close relationship with Eric Opoku, whom he described as his friend.
Speaking on Citi FM on Friday, July 24, 2026, Bernard Avle asked Ato Forson if Eric Opoku is his friend; he responded, saying, “Yes. We are extremely close”.
“I spoke to Eric just last week. No, there’s no issue at all. He’s been my colleague in Parliament for years.
“When I went to Parliament in 2008, he had just served one term and left. He came back and joined us in 2012, and he has since been my friend. I’ve worked very closely with Eric, he stated.
Ato Forson further dismissed the reports of tension between the two ministries.saying, “There is no problem. I think it’s a misconception that started when the Deputy Minister of Finance, my deputy, made a statement which the Ministry of Agriculture also responded to.
“But I think the bottom line is that they were all speaking about two different things, and it is coming as a result of a lack of understanding of the terminologies being used by both sides,” he added.
Also, Eric Opoku, the Agric Minister, has dismissed claims of a disagreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA).
According to the Agric Minister, there is no disagreement between the Agric Ministry and the Finance Ministry over the release of funds for agricultural programmes in 2026.
Eric Opoku stated that both ministries remain aligned and focused on government priorities.
Speaking to the media on Friday, June 19, Eric Opoku stated, “We don’t have any disagreements with the Ministry of Finance. Let me state this clearly. There is no disagreement”.
According to Eric Opoku, the situation arose from communication gaps rather than any substantive policy differences,
He disclosed that the issues have already been resolved internally.
“There was miscommunication, and there was a need for us to clarify the issues. We clarified them, and we are working together,” he stated.
Mr Opoku emphasised, “There is no way we can disagree to hinder the development of our nation. Our major preoccupation in government is to deliver to the admiration of the good people of our country”.
The Agric Minister’s clarification comes after contrasting accounts emerged regarding the extent and timing of budget disbursements to the agriculture sector.
The brouhaha stems from the Finance Ministry, the allocation to the Agric Ministry represents 85% of its 2026 budget allocation for Goods and Services and Capital Expenditure.
The Finance Ministry has since published official documents confirming over GH¢1.6 billion released to the Food and Agriculture Ministry.
“It further explained that all releases except funding to the National Food Buffer Stock Company were initiated by MoFA through standard procedures on the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), with each transaction supported by requisition dates, journal numbers, approval dates, and warrant numbers” reports stated.
“This is clear proof that the Ministry of Finance has released over GH¢1.6 billion to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, representing 85% of MOFA’s 2026 budget allocation for Goods and Services and Capital Expenditure (CAPEX),” the ministry said.
“For Goods and Services, all the requests were initiated by MOFA itself, with the exception of the release made to the National Food Buffer Stock Company,” the statement said.
“As shown in the spreadsheet, every transaction is backed by a requisition date, journal number, approval date, and warrant number,” the ministry stated.
“The journal and warrant numbers are system-generated (GIFMIS). This is the standard process through which all ministries, departments, and agencies generate and process requests on GIFMIS.”
However, the Ministry of Agriculture quickly countered and disputed the claim, citing February letters capping early spending at GH¢453 million for goods and services, with no new authorisations since.
In a press release by Samuel Hunter, the Media Liaison Officer of the Minister for Food and Agriculture, called for a stop to the infantile propaganda before it explodes.
Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) in its release stated, “The attention of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) has been drawn to claims by the Ministry of Finance that it has released GH¢1.6 billion, representing 85% of MOFA’s 2026 budget allocation. These claims do not align with the official budget execution documents issued by the Ministry of Finance itself.
On 15th February 2026, the Ministry of Finance issued a Commitment Authorization to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. However, just four days later, on 19th February 2026, the Ministry of Finance issued the 2026 First and Second Quarter Budget Allotment Letter, which explicitly stated that, notwithstanding the contents of the Commitment Authorization, MOFA’s total expenditure for the first half of the year should not exceed GH¢910 million.
More significantly, the accompanying allotment schedule further restricted actual spending between January and June 2026 to approximately GH¢453 million, covering all expenditures, including staff compensation, contract commitments, and operational activities’.
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