Former President John Mahama has refuted claims that Guinea fowls under the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) flew to Burkina Faso, saying Guinea fowls are not migratory birds.
During a media engagement in Bolgatanga on Wednesday, Mr Mahama clarified that the Guinea fowl project was actually designed to enhance the livelihoods of rural farmers in the northern regions by promoting the production of Guinea fowls, contrary to misconceptions about the birds migrating to Burkina Faso.
The initiative, he said aimed to incubate eggs and distribute day-old chicks to farmers, who would then raise them for meat.
Misconceptions
However, he said the project faced unexpected challenges as the media criticized it, and a misleading narrative took hold.
“A visitor asked a watchman about the whereabouts of the Guinea fowls, and the watchman jokingly replied that they had flown to Burkina Faso with the changing seasons. The comment was taken out of context and spread like wildfire,” Mr Mahama explained.
Before long, he said the media was reporting that the Guinea fowls had indeed migrated to Burkina Faso, and the project was deemed a failure.
“The truth, however, was far from it. Guinea fowls are not migratory birds, and the project’s goal was never to create a spectacle of thousands of birds in one place,” he said.
Viability
Despite the misinformation, Mr Mahama said the idea of promoting Guinea fowl production remains a viable one as there was growing demand for healthier meat options.
“Guinea fowl meat is becoming increasingly popular, particularly in the southern regions,” he said.
Former President Mahama, who initiated the project, said he believes it’s time to revisit the idea and pledged to have a second look at it when re elected in the December election.
“If we can increase Guinea fowl production, it would help the incomes of many families because it’s a project worth looking at again”, he said.
