Farmers raise alarm over fertilizer smuggling in Sissala West District

There are reports of alleged smuggling of fertilizer across the border into neighboring Burkina Faso in the Sissala West District of the Upper West Region.

The reports alleged that security personnel at the border are conniving with the smugglers to carry out the act and farmers in the area have expressed fears that they would not have access to fertilizer to grow their crops if the illegal practice is not checked.

They are therefore raising the alarm and calling on the authorities to immediately put in measures to bring the practice under control.

Mr. Moses Dramani Luri, the Sissala West District Chief Executive confirmed that fertilizer smuggling was going on in the district.

He said he had been receiving calls from people sometimes late in the night complaining that fertilizer was being smuggled out of the district.

Mr. Luri said an emergency District Security Committee meeting (DISEC) would be convened to come out with workable strategies that would be implemented to help curb the practice.

He said when the fertilizer arrived in the district, a DISEC meeting was convened out of which task forces were formed for Gwollu, Fielmua, Jawia and Kuplima.

These task forces, headed by heads of the various security agencies in the district, were tasked with the responsibility of checking smuggling of fertilizer across the border.

Mr. Luri expressed worry that with these measures in place the practice was still going on in the district and said his next move would be to discuss the issue with the Regional Police Commander for them to put in place Regional teams to patrol the area.

Efforts by the GNA to get in touch with the Area Commander of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority and the District Police Commander proved futile.**