Workers set 100 acres farm ablaze

Agomeda (G/R), Oct. 14, GNA - Workers on a farm at Agomeda in the Greater Accra Region have set the company's farm of about 100 acres ablaze, destroying 15,000 trees valued at 750 million cedis, the Managing Director of Vision 2050 Forestry Ghana confirmed on Friday. Mr. Kofi Frimpong said on Friday that the workers' action had caused a great loss to the company and the nation as a whole since the project had come to a stand still.

He said the action taken by some of the workers had rendered all the other workers jobless, putting him in fix as what line of action to take.

The workers, who also destroyed 90 acres of onions said they took the action, because they had not been paid for the past three months. Mr Frimpong explained that the gap in communication came about because the Forestry Services Division of the Forestry Commission had not released the money for the project.

"The division has also not issued me with my conveyance certificate to enable me sell my logs, to defray part of their salaries," he said. Mr Frimpong appealed to the government to ensure that there was a good relationship between the Forestry Services Division and private sector operators to avoid further losses to the state.

According to Mr Joseph Teye Issiffu, Farm Supervisor, Vision 2050 Forestry Ghana, the 217 workers said it was becoming increasingly difficult for them to fend for themselves as well as their families. Speaking to the GNA, Mr Issiffu said the workers decided to stop the company's project by laying down their tools until they received their salaries.

"But along the line when things were becoming increasingly difficult for them, they contended that they would not continue to work the whole day in the hot sun for somebody to enjoy, hence their action." The company lost over 300 trees through bush fire last year.