No guinea fowl flew to Burkina Faso – Mahama clarifies

Former President John Dramani Mahama has refuted claims that guinea fowls that were reared under the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) flew to Burkina Faso.

The flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) says Guinea fowls are not migratory birds.

During a media engagement in Bolgatanga, the Upper East regional capital Wednesday, August 07, 2024, 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 the birds, contrary to misconceptions that they flew to neighbouring Burkina Faso.

The initiative, he said, was 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 taking hold of it.

“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, John 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.

Source:onuaonline.com