Dr Emmanuel Yaw Osei-Twum, a lecturer at the University of Ghana, Department of Chemistry, says a test results of controversial Lithovit Folia Fertiliser proves that it quality is like a cube of sugar dropped into a polytank of water.

According to him, the liquid fertiliser has a very low compound concentrations, which cannot support cocoa growth and yields, as purported.

He explained that the Lithovit Folia Fertiliser is a nano-fertiliser, used as an alternative to conventional fertilisers, adding “It is used on vegetables, citrus, cotton and rice farms.”

The fertiliser, which was bought by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) while Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni was the Chief Executive, had all it chemical constituents scoring below what is provided by the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).

Per the research, he together with one Prof Augustine Kwame Donkor conducted on the lithovit sample that was brought to them by the Economic Organised Crime Office (EOCO), “we found the pH. The pH was 0.5%, which has slight ammonia smell. It was composed of calcium carbonate 3.22%, magnesium carbonate 0.58%, there were other traced elements.

“We said the material identified to be lithovit. The application on cocoa farms from nursery to growth and yields stages remains experimental because currently, there is no evidence in the literature for the application of lithovit on cocoa plants.”

As a result, he told the court presided over by Justice Clemence Honyenuga that they recommended as part of the report submitted to EOCO that a preliminary investigation should be conducted before wide spread of the fertiliser use.

“We also recommended that since lithovit is basic, it is advisable to avoid acidic soils. Hence the pH of all soils in cocoa growing areas should be determined prior to the use of the lithovit. We also recommended the sprayers should be cleaned and rinsed after every use,” he said.

Dr Emmanuel Yaw Osei-Twum is the fifth prosecution witness in the trial of the former CE of COCOBOD, Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni, Seidu Agong and Agricult Ghana Limited.

He was led by Evelyn Keelson, Chief State Attorney to give his evidence in chief Wednesday, October 20, 2020.

Despite his evidence before the court that he was part of the two scientists that conducted test on the fertiliser, lawyer for the accused persons, Samuel Cudjoe and Nutifafa Nutsukpui pointed to him that he has lied to the court.

According to them, the supposed report submitted to EOCO does not bear the name and signature of the said scientists.

By Akutu Dede Adimer

How the witness was led to give his evidence

Q. Can you give your full name to the court once again?

A. Emmanuel Yaw Osei-Twum

Q. What work do you do please?

A. Lecturer at the UG, Chemistry Department and a visiting scholar at the rank of associate professor.

Q. Can you tell the court, how long have you worked with the chemistry Department of the University of Ghana?

A. I am in my 6th year. 

Q. Specifically in May 2017 where were you working?

A. I was at the Department of Chemistry.

Q. Can you please tell the court, briefly what your qualifications are?

A. I had my first degree in chemistry from the University of Ghana. I have 2nd degree (masters) from McMaster University,  Canada. I had my PhD from the same university. And for my experience, I worked in Canada, Saudi Arabia and in Ghana, at the University of Ghana. 

Q. Now, Doc in May 2017, what did you do in respect of Lithovit fertiliser?

A. In April 2017, we got a quest from EOCO to analysis a sample of a product for them. It was a liquid simple. In May, we carried out the analysis.

Q. What kind of analysis were you supposed to conduct?

A. We were to determined the constituents and to find out how much of each was in the sample. We were also to tell EOCO whether the sample was fertiliser.   

Q. Now tell the court how did you received this sample?

A. The sample came in a plastic bottle labelled with EOCO’s sample number and they labelled it in the name Lithovit.

Q. Now, tell the court what you did?

A. We prepared the sample by treating it with acid and submitted to that what we call atomic absorption Spectroscopy.  The rest was calculating how much each constituent was present in the substance.

Q. Can you explained the atomic spectroscopy in a very simple terms?

A. let me take Sodium. Sodium can exist as an atom and it has what we call the nucleus and electrons. The electrons occupies certain levels and if I apply the electrons to the right energy, they can jump from one level to another. And, they do this by absorbing that energy. That energy that is absorbed can be detected.  And that is how sodium in the sample can be detected. The amount of sodium will depend on what is in the sample. That is how we actually measure every element that will be there.

Q. Can you tell the court the findings after you conducted the analysis of the sample submitted to you by EOCO?

A. We find calcium carbonate at 3.22%. We also found magnesium carbonate at 0.48%. Other compounds were very low in amount. 

Q. Now, Doc have a look at the document, exhibit H,  and tell the court what it?

A. The document is a report we issued to EOCO.

Q. Who conducted the analysis?

A. The lead analyst was Prof Augustine Kwame Donkor and myself, Dr Emmanuel.

Q. And, who wrote the report?

A. Prof Donkor and myself 

Q. Who signed the report?

A. The report was signed by the Head of Chemistry Department.

Q. What is the name?

A. Prof Luis Doamekpor.

Q. Can you turn to page 6 of the report and explain to the court, the finding contained in table 2? 

A. The first column on the left is labelled parameters. These were what we analysed for.

Q. Why did you analysis for these parameters?

A. We were supposed to determine the constituents in the Lithovit. First we searched the literature and those were what we found in the literature. Later on we obtained the materials safety data (MSDS), and the MSDS confirmed what we have found in the literature.   

Q. Please go on with the explanation of table 2.

A. 2nd and middle column, contains the concentration in milligrams per kilogram and that was converted to percentages. And, the percentages are in the third column.  

Q. Now can you tell the court from the results you obtained as contained in table 2 means?

A. The results indicated that all the parameters were very very low. And, I stress the low. The solution was very dilutes. When I say very dilute, let me give you an analogy.  Let say we get a glass of water about 250 miles and we drop in a cube of sugar in, the sugar will disappear in the water and formed what we call a solution. If anyone tasted that solution, they will attest to the presence of sugar because they test sugar. If we took that glass of solution and pour it into a polytank, containing litres of water, everyone will agree that there is sugar in that container of water but if everyone taste it he or she will not taste sugar because the solution was diluted.

Q. For your analogy in this particular case on the liquid submitted to you. What was the situation?

A. We concluded that the solution was very dilute. 

Q. Now have a look at page 8 of the report and tell the court of your conclusions?

A. We said Lithovit is a nano-fertiliser and this is used as an alternative to conventional fertilisers.  It is used on vegetables, citrus, cotton and rice farms. Sample that was brought to us by EOCO was identified as lithovit fertiliser. We found the pH. The pH was 0.5%, which has slight ammonia smell. It was composed calcium carbonate 3.22%, mg carbonate 0.58%, there were other traced elements. We said the material identified to be lithovit, the application on cocoa farms from nursery to growth and yields stages remains experimental because currently, there is no evidence in the literature for the applications of lithovit on cocoa plants. 

Q. You also gave a recommendations on page 9 in exhibit H. Can you explain the recommendations to the court? 

A. Our recommendations said lithovit…tested was very small. And that it might compromise the out of its application. We went on to say that preliminary investigation should be conducted before wide spread use. We also recommended that since lithovit is basic, it is advisable to avoid acidic soils. Hence the pH of all soils in cocoa growing areas should be determined prior to the use of the lithovit. We also recommended the sprayers should be cleaned and rinsed after every use.  

Q. Can you explain what pH means?

A. pH determines whether a sample or anything you have is acidic or basic. Let me give an example, am sure many of us have used vinegar. Vinegar is simply acetic content in water. When it in water, it breaks apart and to give hydrogen irons. Because vinegar is acidic, the hydrogen iron amount is high and the pH is low. If it were basic, then the hydrogen iron amount will be very low and the pH will be very high.

Q. Doc you stated that you receive a MSDS, have a look at this document, ex A1 and tell the court what it is

A. This is the document, European Commission Safety Data Sheet MSDS for lithovit CO2 foliar fertiliser.     It provides the chemical composition and safety associated with it. The document says CaCO3. Calcium carbonate should 84.5%, MgCO3 4.6. There should be also silicon dioxide (SiO2) 7.6%, Iron (Fe) 0.75%, manganese (Mn) 166 milligram/Kg. These are the concentrations that are found in the MSDS.

Q. Doc, I want you to look at you report once again. Look at Table 2 of your report in ex h, and compare your findings from the test you conducted with the composition of the element pH as contained in MSD and tell the court what you find?

A. The composition from the MSDS indicates that CaCO3 should be 84.5%, our analysis gives CaCo3 concentration 3.22%, MgCO3 from MSDS is 4.6% we found the amount to 0.4%, Fe from the MSDS should 0.75% and we found 0.012%, Mn supposed to 166Mg/Kg that is from MSDS and we got 0.001% or 8.919 milligram per kilogram. We also found Nicole (Ni) and that was 0.003%, we got sonic (Zn) and that was 0.0003%. There was some lead (Pp) the concentration was 0.001%. These were some of the elements or compounds that were found and they were all every low in concentration. 

State Attorney: My lord that will be all for the witness.

By Akutu Dede Adimer