A senior lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr. Fokuo, has attributed the delay in rolling out the much-publicised “Nkoko Nketenkete” project to what he calls deep-seated financial instability within the current NDC administration.
According to him, the government’s inability to implement basic commitments—such as paying health workers and launching the promised free tertiary tuition policy for first-year students—is a clear indication that the state lacks the financial capacity to embark on major development initiatives.
“The government hasn’t been able to pay health workers.
“They haven’t even implemented the free Level 100 tuition policy. So how can we expect a massive project like Nkoko Nketenkete to begin?” Dr. Fokuo asked during a discussion on Wontumi Radio.
He was quick to point out that the Nkoko Nketenkete promise, championed by President John Mahama during his campaign, remains one of the key pledges of the NDC.
The project was touted as a rural agricultural transformation initiative aimed at empowering poultry farmers with funding, training, and access to ready markets. However, six months into the administration, no visible work has started.
“Even if they are genuinely committed to the idea, the funds just aren’t there. You can’t give birth to a project like this when you’re struggling to pay your debts,” Dr. Fokuo argued.
He also raised eyebrows by accusing the NDC of turning to illegal mining (galamsey) to sustain parts of their financial needs, a development he believes is not only damaging to the environment but also risks soiling the image of the opposition NPP—especially in stronghold regions where anti-galamsey sentiments run high.
In his view, the government should come clean about the state of public finances and be realistic about which promises can be kept, especially when economic conditions are compounded by existing obligations to the IMF and other international partners.
The Nkoko Nketenkete project, once hailed by supporters as a revolutionary agricultural boost for Ghana’s poultry industry, now hangs in the balance—according to Dr Fokuo.
