Concerned farmers want EOCO to probe Agric Minister

A group of farmers known as the Concerned Farmers Association have called on the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to probe the Minister for Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie-Akoto.

According to the farmers, Dr. Afriyie-Akoto must be probed for causing financial loss to the state over his poor handling of the planting for food and jobs policy.

The farmers also claim that they will soon hit the streets in protest of the poor implementation of the planting for food and jobs policy.

Speaking at the Minority roundtable discussion on the economy ahead of the presentation of the 2019 budget, President of the Concerned Farmers Association, Nana Oboade3 Boahene Bonsu accused the Nana Addo government of promoting political farmers at the expense of the real farmers.

“The Minister of Food and Agriculture has caused financial loss to the state and the EOCO must look into it,” Boahene Bonsu said adding “the fertilizer that was given to Cocoa farmers was delayed and this fertilizer will expire this very month and there is a lot of this fertilizer in the warehouses. How can we live in a country that the minister is so arrogant that he doesn’t have respect for we the farmers.”

The concerned farmers also stated that the army worms that ravaged their farms last year have returned and destroying their farm produce with no help from the Agric ministry.

They also questioned the decision to spend GHc43 million to construct a dam under the 1 district 1 dam policy.

“Farmers in the 21st century are sharing water with animals, you have 111 ministers, how much is a V8…very soon we will stage a demonstration. We want everyone to know that this government, everything concerning agric is a lie. How many can you spend GHc43 million for constructing a dam.”