The local accountability network Ghana is a non – partisan, non – profit and non – governmental organisation with its head office in kumasi.
The main priority of the organisation is to make duty bearers accountable to the locals and also make locals aware of policies made by policy makers.
In other words, LANET – GHANA brings governance to the door step of the people to help improve the lives of the citizenry.
In that view, LANET – GHANA through its senior research officer Jalal Seidu wishes to laud the CEO of National Buffer Stock Company (Nafco) for the successes he and his office has chalked upon assumption of office.
His success in this office comes to us as no surprise as he has demonstrated great level of hardwork in his professional life over the years.
Abdul-Wahab Hanan Aludiba took over as the CEO of the national food buffer stock company in February 2017 and within a short period, transformed the company, which, under the erstwhile NDC government was virtually limited to managing governments’ emergency food security reserves to an agency of Agriculture as the Centre pin.
As the CEO, he successfully implemented the feeding component of the first batch of the governments flagship programme, FREE SHS. With his team and the expectant number of students to be enrolled unto this year with the introduction of the double track system, an action plan was developed to get all suppliers licensed 6 clear weeks before the new academic year and a proper audit mechanism, to access the strength of each supplier’s infrastructural and financial capabilities in terms of execution, and to ensure goods supplied are of good manufacturing standards and also check their storage practices. Additionally, Nafco, has adopted to trace every food supplied in the supply chain to ensure food safety.
The CEO since his arrival, has positioned Nafco which hitherto, was a sinking company, to a dividend prone organization. National food Buffer in the previous administration, had to borrow to pay the salaries of workers. Today, due to the prudent management by the affable CEO, workers are paid through the company’s internally generated funds.
He also equipped the National food buffer stock company, mopped up all excess grains from the planting for food and jobs programme, another government trump card to alleviating poverty, giving farmers a value for their investments.
On job creation, The CEO ensured over 6000 suppliers are engaged to supply various SHS with food items under and FREE SHS programme. Eg. The CEO recently engaged the services of the National association of small scale palm oil producers and also the Cocoa processing company, to supply ALL SECOND CYCLE institutions under the FREE SHS programme with palm oil and Hot chocolate respectively.
As an expert in Grain Storage and Post-harvest technology, he paid much attention to food safety and storage conditions. With about 35,000 mt installed capacity of storage facilities, and due to his diligence upon assumption of office, 119,965 mt of storage facilities are under various stages of construction across the country and by the end of the year, Nafco would have had an installed capacity of about a 120,000 mt of storage facilities nationwide. Not to mention of old dilapidated structures the CEO has identified to be renovated.
The manifesto of the current government hinges on two significant themes; agenda for job through planting for food and jobs (PFJ), and FREE SHS. The National Food Buffer Stock Company under the leadership of Mr. Abdul-Wahab Hanan Aludiba has been the fulcrum around these two very important policies.
The planting for food and jobs has changed the narrative about the Agriculture sector of the economy which witnessed a spiral decline of negative growth under the erstwhile NDC regime.
The FREE SHS has also boosted the enrolment across the various second cycle institutions in the country.
Underpinning this vital success chalked by this government in the above-mentioned areas is the National Food Buffer Stock Company.
It is in this light among others that LANET, wishes to commend the CEO of Nafco and his office for reviving an otherwise dormant state agency into a vibrant one.
The preponderance of this office under the leadership of Abdul-Wahab Hanan is worth emulating by other state agencies.
The writer is a senior research officer at the local accountability network Ghana (Lanet).