Armed police deployed as aggrieved farmers protest, block contractors over unpaid compensation

Dozens of armed police personnel from Eastern South Police Command headquarters in Kyebi have been deployed to Asiakwa to Bunso bypass, under construction as protestors obstruct road contactors over unpaid compensation.The protestors all peasant farmers and landowners in Akyem Asiakwa and Bunso staged the protest Thursday demanding immediate compensation from the government for the destruction of their farms and properties.They are demanding compensation for large acres of cocoa farms that were destroyed, as well as completed buildings that were demolished to make way for a new bypass stretching from Bunso to Anyinam.The demonstration, saw the aggrieved individuals blocking roads at the construction site.They brought mats and cooking utensils to demonstrate their readiness to sleep at the sites.Some of the protestors were even spotted cooking at the roadside.Despite government promises to address their concerns over a year ago, many affected individuals say they have received no compensation and are now struggling to survive.The contractors on-site, including First Sky and Justmoh Company, were forced to halt work as the protesters vowed to remain at the construction site until their demands were met. Some even threatened to sleep at the site if necessary.The bypass, part of the ongoing Accra-Kumasi highway dualization project, includes four major bypass roads-the 11.6 km Osino bypass, the 6.1 km Anyinam bypass, the 10.6 km Enyiresi bypass, and the 13.5 km Konongo bypass. The project, initiated over a year ago, aims to ease traffic congestion along the busy Accra-Kumasi highway.The construction, which is part of an eight-contract project worth GHS2 billion, is intended to eliminate traffic bottlenecks in towns along the highway. However, the affected farmers and landowners argue that the government's failure to compensate them has left them in dire straits, with many struggling to find alternative accommodation and means of livelihood.Source: Ghana Web