By: Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News |
A heated political exchange has erupted between Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha and Leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), Azruddin Mohamed, following fresh allegations of corruption surrounding government payouts to rice farmers.
In a recent post on social media, Mohamed accused the Agriculture Minister of inflating figures related to the government’s $2.1 billion subsidy programme for rice farmers. He claimed that WIN’s internal research contradicts the official numbers released by the ministry and alleged that millions of dollars may have been improperly siphoned from the programme.
Mohamed asserted that the figures presented by the minister could not be substantiated and questioned the integrity of the payout process, intensifying public debate over transparency and accountability in the agriculture sector.
The allegations were swiftly rejected by Minister Mustapha, who forcefully defended the administration’s handling of the subsidies. Speaking at Lusignan, where he was engaged in the distribution of grants to fisherfolk in Region Four, the minister said every dollar disbursed by his ministry is done transparently and strictly for national development.
Mustapha emphasized that beneficiary lists are publicly vetted, allowing stakeholders time to raise objections if individuals were deemed ineligible. He explained that names found to be undeserving were removed following verification, underscoring that the process is neither arbitrary nor secretive.
The minister further reminded the gathering that all government expenditure is subject to scrutiny by the Auditor General and will be fully accounted for during official audits. He dismissed the accusations as attempts to undermine state support programmes that directly benefit farmers and fisherfolk.
Visibly angered by what he described as unfounded claims, Mustapha delivered a pointed response, accusing critics of attempting to derail development initiatives while offering no tangible support to the sector themselves.
The exchange marks the latest escalation in political tensions between the governing administration and the WIN party, as allegations of corruption and counterclaims of transparency continue to dominate public discourse.
