Guinea Fowls Did Not Fly To Burkina FasoTheyre Not Migratory Birds Mahama Set Record Straight

The Former President and Flagbearer of the national democratic congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama during a media encounter to wrap up his tour of the Upper East Region, refuted claims that Guinea fowls under the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) flew to Burkina Faso; insisting Guinea fowls are not migratory birds.

Mr Mahama indicated that the Guinea fowl project was 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 SADA project, he said was aimed at incubating eggs and distributing day-old chicks to farmers, who would then raise them for meat.

He said the project instead faced unexpected obstacles 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.

“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.

The Flagbearer noted that despite the misinformation surrounding SADA, promoting Guinea fowl production remains viable as there was a 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.

Salaamat Kuukua Paintsil/