The Eastern Regional Minister, Eric Kwakye Darfour, has called on Ghanaians to unite and fight against fertiliser smuggling.
He said everyone needed to ensure that policy interventions by the government inure to the ultimate benefit of citizens.
“I entreated the general public to assist with any information regarding this fertilizer smuggling issue that will make Ghana victorious since the issue at hand is in the national interest. It is with utmost interest of H. E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana and we must all help to protect the national assets at hand for the betterment of the nation,” he said.
The Minister made the call during an emergency response visit to Somanya on Monday following the arrest of some suspected fertiliser smugglers.
The Minister was taken to Asomdwekrom in Somanya where about 800 bags of the fertiliser which were meant for Cocoa farmers at Samreboi in the Western Region was offloaded, and being prepared to be smuggled out of the country.
While applauding the police in Somanya and the Municipal Chief Executive of Yilo Krobo, Ebenezer Tetteh Kupualor for apprehending the alleged cocoa fertilizer smugglers he urged all the state actors involved in the case not compromise their integrity as the legal processes go on to deal with the perpetrators.
The Somanya District Police Commander in collaboration with some residents last Monday seized five heavy-duty trucks with 4,000 bags of fertilizer meant for the government’s ‘Planting for food and jobs’ initiative at Agorme a suburb of Somanya.
The five suspects have been remanded to prison custody over the seizure. They are; Patrick Nartey aged 43 who is a farmer had been identified as the Receiver, Mr. John Darkey age 65 a farmer – The house owner where the goods were offloaded, Mohammed Ahmed age 31 (trailer driver), Iliasu Seed age 46 (trailer driver), Michael Agyapong age 45 (trailer driver), Yaw Antwi age 34 (trailer driver) and Kwaku Owusu who is currently at large (trailer driver).
The suspects are expected to reappear before court on 9th September, 2019 as local authorities and security agencies in collaboration with authorities of the Ghana Cocoa board are working seriously to returned the diverted Cocoa fertilizers back to stores of cocoa board within the shortest possible time.