Illegal miners ransack cocoa farms in Eastern Region, COCOBOD alerts of dark economic times
- Illegal miners are taking over cocoa farms in the Eastern Region
- CEO of Ghana’s cocoa regulator has warned of a dire impact of the economy
- Government has embarked on an illegal mining exercise to clamp down on the exercise
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has expressed concern over the wanton destruction of cocoa farms by illegal miners in the Eastern Region warning it will have a dire impact on Ghana’s cocoa economy in the short to long term if not mitigated.
Source: UGC
An aerial view of cocoa farms at Osino in the Fanteakwa South District in the Eastern Region reveals gullies caused by desperate illegal miners thirsty for gold.
“Why are people too reckless and lawless? These cocoa farms are the backbone of the economy. If you destroy them, our economy will be destroyed. This must end and end now or else we shall all regret the impact of these illegal miners on our environment,” he warned.
Source: UGC
Meanwhile, Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is planting over 1.6 million forest trees in the 2020/2021 cocoa crop year on cocoa farms across the country and also as part of its National Cocoa Rehabilitation Program.
COCOBOD is embarking on the rehabilitation program to replace about 40% of the country's cocoa tree stock which are either overaged or affected by the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD). Fiifi Boafo heads the Corporate Affairs division of COCOBOD.
Source: UGC
In other stories.
Rains of Friday night in Accra did not just cause flooding buy also slippery streets as an articulated truck (GT 8337 X) carrying gallons of engine oil has skidded off the Kwame Nkrumah circle overpass.
According to eye witness accounts, the brakes of the truck failed; forcing the vehicle to recess. The driver, lost navigating towards the rail and burst a tyre.
Barely five years after its commissioning, is the road furniture that came with the 74.88 million Euro Kwame Nkrumah interchange fast deteriorating.
From broken traffic lights to malfunctioning street lights, portions of the road are increasingly becoming dangerous to use.
Several people have lost their lives just trying to cross from one side of the road to the other.
Pedestrians and other users of the stretch want government to immediately fix the traffic lights to avoid any other deaths.
Source: YEN.com.gh
