Dangerous Armyworms Invade Volta Region

Parliament on Wednesday directed the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) to conduct around the clock surveillance on the various water intake points on the Volta Lake to prevent any disaster as a result of an armyworms invasion of aligning districts.

It also asked that the Minister of Food and Agriculture be fully furnished with the proceedings of the House in relation to the Armyworm invasion of the Keta District.

Mr Ken Dzirrasah, Second Deputy Speaker, gave the directive after members had expressed anxiety after the worm invasion. Mr Victor Gbeho, NDC MP for Anlo, had made a statement saying that an army of worms is sweeping through the Keta District leaving in its trail serious health and agricultural problems. "We can confirm that the northern areas of the Keta and Anlo constituencies in the Keta District are currently under intense infestation from unknown specie of worms."

He said, "the tiny worms are destroying farm crops at a fast rate as they feed voraciously on the leaves. They also attack human beings and animals that come in contact with them." Mr Gbeho said the sting of the worm leaves victims with reddened skin spots, which itch very badly. "The presence and action of this unknown worm have become a hazard to both human health and agriculture and needed to be confronted without delay."

He said the infestations, which is unprecedented was first reported in the last week of December 2002 in some towns and villages lying to the north of the Keta Lagoon. Members asked that a solution be found to the problem before it engulfs other parts of the country.

Later in the day, the House adopted a report of the Parliamentary delegation to the 41st Executive Committee meeting and the 25th Conference of Speakers of the National Parliament of the African Parliamentary Union (APU) from 21st to 24th October 2002 held in Khartoum, Sudan.