Tension Brews In Ofoase Ayirebi  Over Move By DCE To Destroy Farm Crops By Farmers

The scores of peasant farmers living in Ofoase Ayirebi of Akyemansa District of the Eastern Region have raised alarm over the current movement of the officials of the Akyemansa District Assembly to destroy their vast farmlands.

According to the distraught farmers, the officials of the Assembly used the bulldozers to destroy their farmlands which they planted cocoa, plantains, palm trees, yams, maize, cocoyams, cassava, banana, onions, and other farm produces without crops compensation.

They bemoaned that the Assembly didn't even table the issue for negotiations before they "unlawfully" entered into their farmlands and destroyed their cash crops. They lamented that some of the crops were staged for harvesting.

Narrating their ordeal in an interview with Soireenews.com today via a telephone call, the visibly worried farmers including a 90-year-old woman, Madam Adwoa Kodie at Ofoase Ayirebi stated they legally acquired the lands from the Akyem Bontodiasehene, Obrempong Adarkwah Gyamirah, and his elders who are the original owners of the said land to start farming on it for the past 50 years.

According to them, the District Chief Executive of Akyemansa District Assembly, Mr. Paul Asamoah, and Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr. Kwadwo Oppong Nkrumah have taken over their thirty acres of the farmlands for Agenda 111 projects without any compensation.

"We are much worried over the decision by the Member of Parliament and the District Chief executive since they were not fair their movement to allow the Assembly to clear the land for the project without compensating them.

"What was very surprised to us is that when they started destroying the farms the landowners in the persons of Akyem Bontodiasehene, Obrempong Adarkwah Gyamirah and his elders have asked the officials Assembly to stop and compensate the affected farmers before the destruction, but they refused," the farmers lamented.

According to them, they are not resisting any attempt by the government to establish a hospital in the community but are expecting some crop compensations on the land.

For his part, Acting Kotoku Kyidomhene and Akyem Bontodiasehene" Obrempong Adarkwah Gyamirah said Government has not been fair to the farmers in the community and must pay compensation to them.

He confirmed that the farmers have legally acquired the land from them for farming and that they advised the Assembly to negotiate crops compensation with the farmers before they moved to the land and cleared for the project.

However, when Soireenews.com reached the DCE via telephone call yesterday to respond to the issue, he stated simply ' l not ready to talk now because am in meeting with some people and you can go ahead to do the story in your hands."