Witness in Opuni trial says farmers had no complaints about Lithovit fertilizer
Mr. Francis Cyril Asiedu, former District Extension Officer at Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED), has testified that no farmers reported any adverse effects of Lithovit fertiliser on their farms.
Testifying on Monday during the ongoing trial of Dr Stephen Opuni , former Chief Executive Officer of the COCOBOD, Mr. Asiedu, who served as the Extension Coordinator for the Kade District, said the feedback from farmers had been consistently positive.
Mr. Asiedu appeared in court as a subpoenaed witness for Mr. Seidu Agongo in the trial involving Dr. Opuni and two others.
Dr. Opuni and Mr. Agongo face 27 charges, including defrauding by false pretences, wilfully causing financial loss to the state, money laundering, and corruption in contravention of the Public Procurement Act.
They both pleaded not guilty and are on GH¢300,000 self-recognisance bail.
During cross-examination by Dr. Opuni’s counsel, Mr. Samuel Cudjoe, Mr. Asiedu emphasized that farmers in his district consistently praised the Lithovit fertiliser for its positive impact on cocoa yields.
He stated that at both district and regional farmer rallies, there were no complaints, with farmers instead highlighting the fertiliser’s effectiveness.
When asked about Nana Obeng Akrofi, a chief farmer from the Eastern Region who had reportedly criticized the fertiliser’s effectiveness, Mr. Asiedu stated he was unfamiliar with him and disagreed with his claims.
He maintained that farmers were generally open about concerns regarding agricultural inputs, but no such complaints had been raised during his tenure.
“Farmers are very honest in expressing their views on matters that concern them, especially when it comes to interventions for their farms. They do not hide their feelings,” he added.
Mr. Asiedu, the eighth defence witness, stated that COCOBOD has a rapid response system in place to investigate any negative complaints, stressing that no such issues were raised regarding Lithovit fertiliser.
He said that Nana Akrofi’s statement about the fertiliser’s efficacy was false.
In his testimony before Justice Aboagye Tandoh’s court, Mr. Asiedu also confirmed that he was unfamiliar with Alex Asante Afrifa, a principal research scientist from the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, who had served as a prosecution witness in the trial.
Source: GNA