Some farmers at Akpamu, a farming community in the Yilo Krobo municipal of the Eastern Region have expressed disappointment in government for its failure to rehabilitate roads leading to the market centers from their farms.
Rite News correspondent David Ayertey reports that the abandoned farming roads in the community have led to the farmers suffering immeasurable losses including high transportation fares and post-harvest losses.
Some of the farmers accused the district assembly of extorting monies from them under the pretext of constructing the roads for them. Despite the contributions, she laments that the roads have remained deplorable rehabilitation works are yet to be done.
Akpamu is predominantly a farming community. Residents of most affected farming communities have accused government of sidelining them in terms of development which they regret is hindering the progress of farming activities.
The drivers say their vehicles are no longer in good condition because of the poor roads and it costs them huge sums of monies in repairing the vehicles.
“It is difficult for farmers to bring their produce home since drivers don’t want to ply these roads due to the mountainous and bad nature of the roads,” some agitated farmers told David Ayertey in an interview.
The farmers are therefore appealing to government and the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly to urgently consider rehabilitation works of the roads in the area.
Speaking to Rite news, the farmers who felt betrayed by the authorities said though they were convinced to contribute monies towards the rehabilitation of the roads, noting that nothing has been done about the situation.
“We were made to contribute a total amount of Ghc 3000 for the rehabilitation of the roads,” one distraught farmer complained bitterly, adding that though they were later asked to come for their monies, they have no idea if it was actually returned to their leaders.
Another distressed farmers said they were sometimes compelled to carry the loads on their heads over long distances. According to them, though the Yilo Krobo municipal assembly has severally promised to come to their aid, the situation has remained the unchanged.
Sometimes, we organize ourselves to try and put the road in a good shape by ourselves, he said apparently to underscore the frustrations they are compelled to endure.
The situation has compelled drivers to charge exorbitantly as farmers struggle to meet the inordinately high charges.
Source: ritefmonline.org
