Some financiers and supporters of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper West Region have been fingered in the mysterious disappearance and alleged smuggling of over 20,000 bags of government-subsidised fertilisers meant for farmers.
The national organiser and president of the local chapter of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, Shiraz Jawol, said the subsidised fertilisers are not available to farmers who need them. Instead, they are smuggled to neighbouring Burkina Faso and sold for more profit.
Speaking to Class News, he said: “The situation of government’s subsidised fertilisers in the region is very challenging and also worrying.”
Asked who were behind the smuggling, Mr Jawol told Emefa Apawu: “The reality and the truth on the ground, per what we have gathered, is that they are financiers, frontiers, big people of the governing New Patriotic Party who happen to be retailers of the subsidised fertilisers or inputs.
“We know, and I’m talking for Sissala West and East. We know those who do fertiliser business in these two respective districts. They are known NPP supporters. If the [farmers] cannot have access to subsidised inputs then it means the farmers cannot farm and it will also bring about low income to those farmers.”
Mr Jawol added that to arrest the smuggling of fertilisers in the district, community watchdog activities must be reactivated since many have lost confidence in the security services.
“I think if we can put this situation under control, we have to use the community watchdogs. They are the only people who can do this work for us. If we want to depend on the security people, we will fail and the farmers will be the ones to suffer from this action,” he warned.
Source: classfmonline
