Does Akufo-Addo have advisors - Mahama queries

President John Mahama is wondering whether New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo has advisors.

Mahama’s comment stems from the fact that the NPP flagbearer is going round promising to offer fertilizer subsidies to cocoa farmers if voted into power.

According to Mahama, government is currently offering such inputs to cocoa farmers free of charge hence Nana’s promise is needless.

Speaking at a durbar at Apagya in the New Edubiase constituency of the Ashanti region, President Mahama said government has deliberately introduced policies and schemes aimed at encouraging cocoa famers to increase their productivity. “Four years ago, we made it a priority to roll out policies to make cocoa farming very profitable to encourage more farmers in order to increase production.

“Thus, we started giving out inputs such as fertilizers to the farmer free of charge. I know for a fact that cocoa farmers here in New Edubiase have also benefited from these inputs such as fertilizers.”

He added: “I was listening to someone (Nana Addo) days back and he was promising to subsidize fertilizer if voted for to become President. Then I asked, so doesn’t this man have advisors to inform him fertilizers are already been given out free of charge to cocoa farmers?”

“We used to subsidize fertilizers for cocoa farmers, but since John Mahama became President, they are given out free of charge. This means he (Nana Addo) doesn’t even know what is happening in the cocoa sector.

“He is now promising to subsidize fertilizers for cocoa farmers, something we are already giving out for free. So is he going to now make the farmers pay?”

Mahama is on a four-day tour of the Ashanti region ahead of the December polls.