REGSEC grants reprieve to rival farmers

The Volta Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has granted a one-week reprieve beginning Wednesday, February 26 to March 4, this year, to farmers in the Peki and Tsito traditional areas to harvest crops in the disputed land.

About 80 Security men would supervise the harvesting of the crops during the period to ensure peace and stability in the area.

The decision to allow the harvesting of the crops follows a petition by the chiefs from the two traditional areas to the REGSEC in January, this year.

In the petition, the chiefs expressed concern about the hardship encountered by the people due to the ban imposed on access to their farms, which had been left at the mercy of rodents and bushfires.

Mr Steve Selormey, Secretary to the REGSEC, who briefed the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the latest developments in the dispute area, said farmers from both sides would be allowed to harvest their crops concurrently under security guard.

He explained that none of the farmers would be allowed to carry firearms and ammunitions into their farms during the harvesting except cutlasses, hoes, mattocks and digging implements.

Mr Selormey said the REGSEC had directed that no new farms would be cultivated on the disputed land in future after the harvest until peace was restored.

He said about 1,780 farmers from Peki, Triton and settler farmers from Deeded, Saga and Okyeamekope, all of which are within the disputed area would be affected.

Mr Selormey said a common entry and exit paths have been created for both sides, which "is well secured for the exercise".

He said Paramount Chiefs of both sides would ensure that their subjects co-operated with the security personnel to make the exercise event-free.