Beneficiaries of Youth in Afforestation in the Eastern Regional Capital, Koforidua, on Tuesday morning picketed at the Regional Office of the Forestry Commission over the delay and the selective manner in the payment of their monthly allowances and arrears.

According to the beneficiaries, they have not been paid for the last five months and in some cases, six months of their monthly allowances.

“We know that your able office is aware of how beneficiaries in this region are committed to making this project a success and we have been working very hard even though our allowances are not forthcoming for over five months and in some cases six months now,” they said in their petition.

Their petition highlighted further that "beneficiaries who started work from the month of May have still not received their allowances for that month even though it was said to have been paid. The same applies to others for the month of June and July respectively”.

They have given a December 7, 2018 ultimatum for the arrears to be paid in a petition presented by Regina Aku Dzamashie, leader of the aggrieved YIA beneficiaries received by the Assistant Regional Manager of Forestry Commission Haward Manso.

“We therefore wish to use your able office as Regional Manager of the Forestry Commission to call on the necessary authorities to immediately and as a matter of urgency pay all monthly allowances including any arrears due us by Friday 7th December,2018 else we will advise ourselves”.

In the petition, they also raised concerns over unspecified contract duration, poor working condition of beneficiaries and dictatorial manner in handling attendance and time sheet as some of the concerns they want addressed.