Farmers demand payment of compensation

Goaso (Brong Ahafo) 11 May ?99

The Government is making efforts to pay compensation to 116 farmers whose crops were destroyed by the MOTA Construction Company, contractors working on the 54-kilometre Noberkwaw-Gambia Number Two asphalt road.

The project, estimated to cost 11.5 million Euro and 26.3 million cedis is being financed by the European Union (EU).

Mr Rexford Amemasior, a highway engineer with MOTA was reacting to a petition sent by the farmers to President J. J. Rawlings on the delay in the payment.

In their petition, the farmers said, among other things, that they are experiencing hardships and are unable to meet commitments including payment of their children's school fees.

He said at Goaso that the Government is doing all it could to secure 74 million cedis to pay farmers from Goaso and Mim, whose crops were destroyed by the contractor.

Mr Amemasior said the company has completed 20 out of the 54 kilometres of the road and expressed the hoped that work would be completed on schedule.