Farmers demonstrate against SONITRA

Asona (ER), July 29, GNA - Hundreds of angry farmers, whose crops were destroyed more than a year ago during the construction of a 15-kilometre by-pass near Nkawkaw, on Wednesday demonstrated against SONITRA Construction Limited over the non-payment of compensation. But Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) officials have asked for restraint and assured them that their claims were being processed. The farmers blocked the main gate of the company with wood and metal materials for several hours and halted the movement of staff, vehicles and equipment.

Mr Samuel Nkansah, secretary of the association of the affected farmers and landlords, told the GNA that large hectares of cocoa, cola, coffee and foodstuffs were destroyed by the company during the second phase of the project and demands for their compensation had yielded no dividends. He said when the leaders of the association met officials of the GHA, the consultants of the project, they were given firm promises that payments would be made on Monday, July 27, but when they got there they were told that compensation would be paid for the buildings destroyed but not the crops.

Mr Nkansah complained that they needed the money to pay the school fees of their children and to undertake other farming activities to enhance their living standards.

When the GNA contacted Mr Victor Annan, an engineer of the GHA, he said the compensation for the buildings destroyed was ready for payment. However, he was still working on payments for the crops and appealed to the farmers to exercise maximum restraint because compensation would be paid for all the property destroyed during the construction. 29 July 09