NDC THUGS STEAL COCOA SPRAY

The mass cocoa spraying exercise which was introduced by the NPP administration risks losing its integrity in some parts of the Ashanti Region as people, who investigations have confirmed as assigns of the ruling NDC, are taking the chemicals for themselves instead of helping to spray the farms of the many poor cocoa farmers.

Investigations conducted by TODAY at Abodom Adjumamu in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region indicate that some opinion leaders, many of whom are NDC faithful, take as much of the supply as they want, before deciding on whether to give the rest to the farmers.

And even in that case, the very few that would be left are as TODAY’s findings established, strictly shared among farmers, who would have to prove their allegiance to the ruling party, by way of showing their NDC membership cards.

The Cocoa Diseases and Pests Control Programme dubbed “Mass Spraying,” which was re-introduced in 2001, revived the concept of mass spraying of cocoa farms in Ghana. The implementation of the Mass Cocoa Spraying Programme has led to a reduction in crop losses due to capsids attack and black pod disease.

TODAY learned that the Abodom Adjumamu Unit Committee Secretary, Kweku Ankapong, a known NDC sympathizer, took eight bottles of the chemicals as soon as they arrived, while the Chief Farmer of the area, who happens to be his brother and a known adherent of the ruling party, also took away six.

Some other close associates of these opinion leaders, TODAY established, took their share of the chemicals; thus creating serious shortage, which invariably caused abrupt halt to the cocoa spraying exercise in the area.

The situation infuriated both the supervisor of the sprayers and the Assemblyman of the area, Joseph Atioyire and therefore threatened to report the brothers and their surrogates to the appropriate authorities for the law to deal with them.

However, TODAY has discovered that the threats are just too ordinary and empty. Although unconfirmed, the obvious boisterous posture of the suspects in the area, has given cause for intense suspicion amongst residents and indigenes that the two have compromised their position on the issue.

“How can they (Kweku Ankapong and chief farmer) be walking freely in town and even be issuing threats to people who are questioning their operations, if the Assemblyman and the supervisor have not been ‘seen’ to shut their mouths,” Egya Koo Ninta declared.

When the paper contacted the Assemblyman on the issue, he refuted the allegation, denying any knowledge about the activities of some of his people. He said he had not received any formal complaint on the matter.

The District Chief Executive of Manso Nkwanta, Oti Prempeh, said that he was preparing fervently for the arrival of President Mills to the region and could not talk to any journalist, and rudely hanged up on this reporter.

Crop losses due to capsids attack on cocoa alone has been estimated at about 25-35% per annum in Ghana. The programme has also encouraged the effective and efficient application of Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) alongside fungicidal spraying to achieve improved yields.