Cocoa spraying gangs allege they will be dismissed

Sefwi Wiawso (W/R), June 5, GNA - The National Patriotic Party (NPP) members in the cocoa producing areas of the Western Region have alleged that about 3,500 members of cocoa spraying gangs who were employed under the Kufuor administration would be dismissed. They said District Chief Executives in the area, including Mr. Kofi Mensah, the Wiawso District Chief Executive who is also the chairman of the District Task Force for the spraying gangs, had dissolved the cocoa spraying gangs and had given them ultimatum to surrender their machines.

Addressing the media on Wednesday at Wiawso Mr. Richard Asare, the NPP constituency secretary for Bibiani said they had authentic information that immediately they dismissed the old gangs the DCEs would hand over the machines to their NDC favourites. He said the selection, recruitment and appointment of the spraying gangs was never done on political lines and that it was done by Cocoa Service Division.

Mr. Asare said if this was going to happen then President J.E.A Mills and his NDC government has failed to honour their campaign promise to respect the rights of all Ghanaians. He appealed to the President to retain the spraying gangs to enable them help cocoa farmers protect their farms from insects and pests.