Aggrieved Seedling Contractors Threaten To Storm Flagstaff House –To Demand Their Money Owed Them By The Government
According to seed suppliers, who are the members of National Seed Trade Association of Ghana (NASTAG), they are not paid arrears owed them for providing seedlings in 2021 and 2022 during the national tree planting exercise.
Freeman Koryekpor 
Thousands of aggrieved seed suppliers, the main suppliers of seed inputs to government’s flagship programme, Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) have announced plan to storm the office of the President–Flagstaff House to demand payment for seeds supplied under the programme for the past two years.
According to seed suppliers, who are the members of National Seed Trade Association of Ghana (NASTAG), they are not paid arrears owed them for providing seedlings in 2021 and 2022 during the national tree planting exercise.
Speaking in an interview with Soireenews.com, the suppliers, most of whom are traditional office holders, teachers, chiefs and queen mothers from some recognized traditional areas in the area lamented the government owed them over GH¢7 million–a situation that has compelled their operations to almost grind to a halt.
They indicated that all efforts to get their monies from the Ministry of Agriculture since two years has not materialized, saying that they were fed up promises and assurances of the government.
"We are giving 14 days ultimatum to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to ensure that he finds alternative measures to pay us our money and that If we don’t get the payment by the end of the 14 days ultimatum, we are going to embark on the demonstration," they told Soireenews.com.
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has confirmed that it owes the seedling Contractors an amount of GH¢28 million but has not been able to give firm assurances on when the amount would be paid.
Following the launch of the 2023 Green Ghana Project, the seedling Contractors have renewed calls for government to pay them their arrears.
Speaking to Citi News, the secretary of the Ashanti Region Plantation Developers and Seedling Contractors Association, Mr Gloria Amponsah disclosed that they have been sidelined as far as this year’s Green Ghana Day exercise is concerned.
“The last time we complained about our monies, the minister assured us that they were putting things in place to pay us. As I talk to you now, we haven’t heard from him. The ministry has not called us, we have not been called. We just heard that they are launching the Green Ghana project with an amount of GH¢2.5 million, when that is sealed, then they are not going to pay us our money. We need our money, if they are able to amass this amount for the project, why are they not paying us? We are pleading with them to give us our money.
“We just realised that they are not involving farmers in the new project, that is not our problem. They should pay us. We will be forced to take legal action if they don’t pay us,” she warned.
The seedling contractors were tasked to supply seedlings for the tree planting exercise during the Green Ghana Day celebrations for 2021 and 2022.
