Volta Parliamentary Caucus expresses concern

...about Aveyime Rice Project

The Volta Parliamentary Caucus on Monday expressed concern about the abandonment of equipment at the Quality Grain Project at Aveyime.

They noted that the continued neglect of the equipment in its present deplorable state was not only a drain on the national economy but also defeated the purpose of agricultural development in the country.

The members said this after they had visited the project site and interacted with the chiefs, elders and people of the communities of Mamfe, Battor and Mepe at a durbar at Aveyime as part of a working visit to the area.

The members found that a number of combine harvesters, sprayers, tractors, caterpillars, water pumping machines, chemicals and other machinery had been left in the open, while most of the silos were in disrepair.

Milling of rice was actively going on when the team got there but there was no member of the Interim Management Committee project, except a few security personnel, who led the team accompanied by the chiefs and people.

Mr. Modestus Ahiable, Chairman of the Caucus, said since the project had been found to be viable and was at present milling paddy rice from Afife, Asutuare and Dawhenya irrigation schemes, there was no need for the project to be moved away from the area.

He said, in case there was any plan for a divestiture of the project, the government should consider the wishes of the people first since they had expressed concern of the likelihood of losing employment if the project was re-located.

"Any re-location of the project from the Aveyime area would be a serious blow to the people and a disservice to the local farmers, whose life depend on the success of the project". Mr. Joe Gidisu, MP- North Tongu, said the focus of the visit was to afford the Caucus an on-the spot assessment of the project and to seek the people's welfare in deriving maximum benefit from their toils.

He said the Caucus and the people were not against any divestiture but all that they sought to do was to ensure that whichever authority took over the project ensured the maintenance of the equipment.

Mr. Gidisu said the people were ready to resist any attempt at moving the equipment from the area, adding that they should be the beneficiaries of the project. Mr. Doe Adjahoe, MP-Avenor, said since the project had been found to be viable and a first class one, any attempt at stalling it would rather push the people deep into poverty.

Togbe Kumi from the Battor Community in his reaction said this was the first time the chiefs and people had had the opportunity of visiting the project site and called for their involvement in any negotiations for the divestiture of the project.

He said their contention was that any attempt at divesting the project should not result in moving the project away from the area and recounted that a tannery project meant for them was abandoned after the overthrow of the First Republic.

Togbe Agyeman also from the Battor community, on behalf of the divisional chiefs thanked members of the Caucus for awakening them and creating their awareness of the importance of the project. He said they were prepared to mobilise resources to buy shares in any company that would win the bid to take over the company in case of a divestiture.

Togbe Sakpaleka III of Mafe-Dove said the project had become a welcome source of employment for the youth, especially those of them, who were fishing in Northern Ghana but had to flee back home during the Northern Conflict, adding that any attempt to stall the project would greatly harm them since they would not have any livelihood.

Some of the people said since the construction of the Akosombo Dam, they had been denied of their main livelihood - the collection of shells - and saw the setting up of the Quality Grain Project as God sent, since it would generate employment and reduce the migration of the youth to the cities in search of greener pastures.