YEA denies GH¢9m Turkey Berry project claims

The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) has rejected claims that it spent GH¢9 million on turkey berry production, describing the allegation as false and misleading.

The agency stated that no active turkey berry project exists, no such expenditure has been made, and the programme never advanced beyond a proposed budget initiative.

According to YEA, the controversy relates to a proposed project that was included in the 2025 approved budget. The initiative was intended to train approximately 2,000 young people in turkey berry cultivation and value addition as part of agricultural entrepreneurship promotion.

However, the agency said the programme was never implemented due to financial constraints.

“The Youth Employment Agency is not running any project or module related to turkey berry production, let alone spending GH¢9 million on it,” said Abdul-Wahab Jawando, the agency’s Public Relations Officer.

YEA explained that while the proposal received approval in principle from the Ministry of Finance, no contracts were awarded, no training conducted, no payments made, and no activities were carried out.

The agency called on the public to disregard the claims and rely on verified information from official sources. It reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.