As Land Grabbers Move In
By Prince Ahenkora
HEARTBREAKING scenes have emerged from Adenta as hard-working farmers are being CRUSHED by greedy developers who are SNATCHING their precious farmlands!
Furious farmers have revealed how they are being squeezed out of existence, with the few remaining plots they rely on for their livelihoods being BULLDOZED by money-hungry builders.
Their cries for help were heard by Deputy Food and Agriculture Minister, Hon. John Dumelo, who swooped in with a donation of 1,000 bags of fertilizer. But the farmers made it clear – FERTILIZER WON’T GROW ON CONCRETE!
Speaking at the Trasaco handout on Thursday, Aviation Farmers Association Chairman, tearfully recalled how their once vast lands have been RAVAGED by developers over the past 14 years.
He revealed how they were initially given permission to farm on unused Aviation Authority land by the local Agric Department. But now, it’s a FREE-FOR-ALL for developers, with one even marching onto their land with ARMED POLICE to clear their equipment!
“Our livelihoods are being STOLEN from under our feet!” he fumed, warning that the government’s Feed Ghana Programme is DOOMED if farmers have nowhere to grow food.
Desperate pleas for intervention have been IGNORED by the Adenta Municipal Assembly and other bigwigs, leaving the farmers feeling ABANDONED.
“We started with over 300 farmers, now we’re less than 100. Every day, more are being KICKED OFF their land,” the Chairman lamented, begging for alternative government land to keep their farms alive.
Another angry farmer questioned why developers are allowed to GRAB their land while talk of reclaiming government land elsewhere remains just that – TALK.
But there’s HOPE!
Hon. Dumelo, the action man Deputy Minister, vowed that the government’s “Operation Recover All Loot” is ON THE CASE to reclaim all grabbed government lands.
“Don’t be afraid!” he declared, promising to find government land for the struggling farmers as part of the new administration’s mission to “reset Ghana.”
He also admitted that urban farmers have been WRONGLY IGNORED in the past when it comes to vital resources like fertilizer and tractors. He pledged to ensure Adenta farmers get their fair share.
The Deputy Minister unveiled plans for new Farmer Service Centres packed with tractors and other goodies, promising to fight for one to be located right there in the Adenta area.
It seems Hon. Dumelo is ready to FIGHT for Adenta’s forgotten farmers and ensure these land-grabbing cowboys don’t have the final say!