CPP to support FSG to kick against release of GMO rice, cowpeas in a suit


The Convention People’s Party (CPP) is to join the suit against the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the National Biosafety Committee to stop the release and commercialisation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

As a co-plaintiff, the CPP will support the Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG) which is seeking an injunction at the Human Rights Division of the High Court to stop the two government institutions from releasing and commercialising genetically modified rice and cowpeas.

At the last hearing of the injunction at the court on April 2, 2015, the Chairperson of the CPP, Ms Samia Nkrumah, said the party was yet to take the decision.

“The Central Committee of the CPP will soon approve a decision to join the suit in support of Food Sovereignty Ghana which has sued the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Biosafety Commission.

“We always support the cause that Ghana does not need genetically modified food,” she stated.

The civil society organisation, FSG, made up of Ghanaians home and abroad, filed an injunction at the Human Rights Division of the High Court to stop the MoFA and the National Biosafety Commission from releasing and commercialising the sale of genetically modified rice and cowpeas in Ghana.

The organisation claimed that MoFA did not have the authority to commercialise such products.

It also argued that the government could not go ahead to implement the process for genetically modified food, since it had failed to comply with the provisions of the main Biosafety Act.

Besides, it said the government had also failed to consult and engage the public to create awareness of GMOs.

On March 3, 2015, the injunction application put in by the civil society organisation was upheld by the Accra Fast Track High Court which said MoFA could not approve the sale of GMOs until it ruled on injunction filed by the Food Sovereignty Ghana.

The court has admitted the Attorney General and the National Biosafety Authority as the new defendants in the case.
 
That was after a representative of the A-G had requested the court to join the National Biosafety Authority and the A-G’s department as the third and fourth defendants respectively.

At the last hearing on April 2, 2015, the court, presided over by Mr Justice Essel Mensah, adjourned the hearing to May 4, 2015, after a State Attorney had told the court that the third defendant, the National Biosafety Authority, had not filed an appearance and defence since they were served. 

According to him, the authority had eight days to enter appearance and another 14 days to file defence in opposition to the injunction.

The case was originally assigned to the Human Rights Division of the High Court but was transferred to the Fast Track High Court to hear the case.

However, after two hearings of the case, the court, presided over by Mr Justice Anthony Yeboah, adjourned the case to April 2, 2015.

The case was transferred back to the Human Rights Court on April 2, 2015 and when it was called the counsel for the plaintiffs, Mr George Tetteh Wayo, told the court he had not been served with any of the processes the defendants had filed.

The court therefore ordered the defendants to serve him with the processes and adjourned the case to May 4, 2014.

The filing of the injunction is the preliminary of the case and after the ruling on the injunction, the court is set to hear the substantive case.

SOURCE: Daily Graphic