The society says the encroachment poses a severe threat to the livlihoods of farmers
The actvities of smallholder dfarmers on IDA land that is bei n encroached on
The Farmers' Cooperative Society at Ashiaman in the Greater Accra Region has petitioned the president over the massive encroachment on lands belonging to the Irrigation Development Authority (IDA)
According to the society, the encroachment on the land poses a severe threat to the livelihoods of farmers and the municipality's overall food security, a matter the community insists needs urgent attention.
The society is hereby demanding the demolition of all illegal encroachments on the IDA Scheme Project lands with immediate effect in order to pave the way and access to both existing and new farmers who want to promote agriculture and agribusiness in the municipality.
Below is the full statement
PETITION ON EXTEND OF THE LAND ENCROACHMENT AND ITS ADVERSE EFFECT ON AGRIBUSINESS (FARMING AND AGRO-PROCESSING) AT THE IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (IDA) IN ASHAIMAN MUNICIPALITY
The Farmers’ Cooperative Society, Ananogre Palm Kernel Oil Producers Association and the Ashaiman Poultry Farmers Association at the last Research, Extension and Linkage Committee (RELC) and annual stakeholders forum organized for all agricultural value chain actors by the Department of Agriculture to discuss the successes and challenges uncounted by farmers and others in both previous and current years and finding solutions to these challenges was held on Thursday, July 5, 2023 at the Farmers Hall at the IDA-Ashaiman.
The main challenge that has been reoccurring in every year RELC meeting is the level of encroachment of farm lands by some IDA personnel, Traditional Council, Municipal Assembly personnel specifically the Municipal Engineer and some private developers who are posing a serious threat to the livelihood of farmers and the entire municipality so far as food security is concern which needs to be address and bring it into a conclusive end.
The Current and successive Governments has been promoting youth into agriculture and agribusiness in order to reduce the teeming youth employment with it associated vices but the encroachment on government vested lands purposely allocated for agriculture activities is resulting in the disappointment in realizing the dreams and vision of this national development and socio-economic growth.
We the beneficiaries of IDA Lands has made several efforts to reports these incidents to the local authorities but nothing has been done to savage this situation which is taking a worse situation.
Some of the effects of this land encroachment are the channeling of residence sewage into the canal that feeds the various farmlands for irrigation ( Appendix 1-pictures), allocation of land to mechanical and fitting shop owners who turns to pollute the land with oil spells which make crop cultivation impossible, churches taking farmland met for livestock rearing which has led to the collapsing of the livestock rearing in the IDA, the operation of washing bay, scrape dealers, hotel and restaurant operators who are taking over the lands met for farming.
Other encroachers are the car dealers, retailers, market centres and sand/stone dealers, etc.
The major threat is the entire residence of Lebanon, Zenu, Newland, Santeo, Jordan and Attadeka discharges their sewage into the main dam since they have built beyond the buffer zone allocate to these communities resulting in the high levels of water pollution which makes the use of the water from the dam not suitable for irrigation due to large quantities of harmful chemicals and toxic that has been released into the dam.
There is the frequent usage of the water from the dam being used by drivers and other vehicle owners to washed their cars into the dam which results in the pollution of the dam with oil and dirt into the dam.
There is the practice of dumping refuse into the dam by these residence from the communities especially when its raining which is very devasting making the dam filled with solids waste like plastic waste which affect both fauna and flora ecosystem in the water body.
The bridges linking the western and eastern part of the IDA has been broken down for the past seven (7) years and nothing has been done to rebuild or repair these bridges which are about eight (8) in number making transportation of inputs, implements and machineries as well as harvested crops very difficult or near impossible.
Farmers and aggregators cannot cross to their farmers especially during heavy downpour which affect their production and output from the farms demoralizing them.
Some of the farmland has been eroded due to the heavy run water during rainy season which is also reducing the acreage of the farmland which is very unacceptable.
Some of the residence has been also dumping of refuse into the farms and also defecating into the farms which is very unhygienic which must be address immediately in order not to cause any outbreak of any communicable disease like cholera when farmers harvest their crops unknowingly.
We will want to use this video documentary to appeal to the various government agencies and departments that are responsible to act swiftly to savage the entire IDA PROJECT in Ashaiman in order to increase production and better the livelihoods of the farmers and their families.
SOME IDA PERSONNEL LEGAL INTERFERENCE AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The Irrigation Development Authority (IDA) on 7th September, 2016 issued a letter with a reference Number AD/ ADM-3153 A /89 to dissolve all Farmer Associations and Cooperative Societies formed and operating on the IDA Schemes and facilities across the country based on the Formation of Water Users Association (WUAs) LI 2230 of 2016 passed by Parliament to regulate water use throughout Ghana.
This in contravention and against the Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms of Farmers as enshrined in Article 21(1)(f) (the 1992 Constitution of Republic of Ghana which states that all persons shall have the rights to Freedom of Association which shall include the freedom to form or join trade unions and other association, national and international, for the protection of their interest.
The Letter continues to stated that in the paragraph three that all Irrigation Farmers Association (IFAs)/cooperatives operating on Irrigation Schemes throughout Ghana have become null and void and are hereby dissolved which is in gross breach of the Cooperative Society Regulation NLCD 1968, Sections (54) which states categorically that the if the Registrar upon receipt of application from three-fourth of the members of a particular Registered Cooperative Society is of the opinion that the cooperative should be dissolved and may issued and Executive Instrument cancelling the Registration.
Another Condition or Provision under which a Cooperative Society can be dissolved is stated in Section 55 of the Cooperative Society Regulation also states that Where it is a condition of the registration of a society that it shall consist of at least ten members the Registrar may by executive instrument cancel the registration of the society if at any time it is proved to his satisfaction that the number of the members has been reduced to less than ten.
These three legal provisions clearly indicate that the Management of the IDA has erred and infringed on the Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms of these vulnerable and ignorant farmers as well as interfered in the operation of the Farmers groups nationwide.
The IDA Scheme has diverted from their core mandates and middling in the operation and administration of FBOs and Cooperative Societies across the nation which has impacted negatively on the facilities and function leading to deterioration of dams, canals, laboratories, mechanical shops.
Some IDA personnel especially Former IDA Scheme Manager, Mr. Hanson Nii Ofoe who has gone on retirement is still middling in the affairs of the IDA by instigating the formation of WUAs, allocation of lands to private developers, mechanic shops owner, washing bay, restaurant and churches which are not for agriculture or agricultural related activities or businesses.
He is also collaborating with the Director of Works Department, Mr. Sied in this venture with the opinion that the State Vested Lands for Agriculture will be allocated and re-demarcated for residential and commercial purposes defeating the Government Policy and Strategy of promoting Agriculture and Agribusiness in creations of employment and increase in national economic growth and development.
Mr. Hanson who is on retirement is still living in the government bungalow assigned to staff which is contravention of public service Act which compel public staff to vacate and handover all official documents to his successors.
He is also using the water users association regulation to handover all the lands and assets of the IDA Scheme Project to a private company (Jaspong Groups of Companies) who has already visited the Irrigation Project Site in Ashaiman with some Korean Representative under the disguise of introducing a new breed of rice.
These amount to conflict of interest and against the functions and regulation and Bye-Laws of the Board of the Authority according to the mandate stated in section 2 and 20 of Irrigation Development Authority Act, 1977 ( SMC 1, 85) and total disregards of the laws of the country for the personal interest of the some few personalities at the detriment of the collective benefits of the farmers and the entire nation.
RECOMMENDATIONS
We recommend revocation of the interim Executive Committee set up under the Water Users Association Regulation by the Irrigation Development Authority personnel by the Supreme Court of Ghana through the interpretation of the fundament human Rights and Freedom of Farmers as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution of Republic of Ghana. Demolishing of all illegal Encroachment on the State Vested Lands at the IDA Scheme Project lands with immediate effect in order to pave way and access to both existing and new farmers who want to promote agriculture and agribusiness in the municipality. The restraining of all public services personnel especially the IDA, Dept of Agriculture, Civil Service Staff at Ashaiman Municipal Assembly and other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) from interfering in the operation of the Farmer Based Organization (FBOs) operating in the IDA Scheme in Ashaiman and nationwide. Ejection of Mr. Hanson Ofoe from the government bungalow in order to allocate it to current IDA and Department of Agriculture personnel to enhance their effective and affeciate performance as well as attract competent Extension Officers in the Municipality due to readily accommodation. Compel the Municipal Assembly, Department of Agriculture and IDA officials to make all documents, contract agreements, Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs), correspondences, financial transaction on the transfer of the assets and projects at the Scheme Facilities available to the entire membership and body of the FBOs to ensure transparency, proper accountability and better collaboration and cooperation among all stakeholders to ensure value for money, sustainability, protection of environment and farmers and agriculture value chain actors livelihoods. Conduct a comprehensive audit on the state of operation of all the assets and lands of the IDA Scheme Project in Ashaiman. Conduct an extensive and independent feasibility Studies on the IDA Scheme Project to ascertain the level of viability and economic returns and profitability in order to attract both local and foreign investment to expand and increase employment and production. Appoint a Dam Safety Officer at the Ashaiman IDA Scheme according to the Dam Safety Regulation, 2016, L I 2236 to conduct repairs, renovation, supervise, regulate and maintain all activities at the Dam. Conduct a video documentary and coverage on all the IDA Project and Facilities to ascertain the state of damage or deterioration in order to recommend competent contractors and engineering companies to repair and maintain the Scheme.
CONCLUSION
We the entire beneficiaries of the IDA Scheme Project will like to state emphatically that farmers and Farmer Based Organization (FBOs) will ensure the proper usage of the facilities and protect the assets of the scheme using all legal and acceptable provisions and procedures available to us in order to protect, promote and sustain our livelihood and income generation venture for posterity and future generation.
ATTACHMENT
All necessary documents are been attached including photos, letters, Legislation, etc.
SIGNATORIES
All signatories to this petition is attached to this document.
LONG LIVE ASHAIMAN
LONG LIVE FARMERS
