469 farmers paid compensation as Accra-Kumasi Expressway clearance progresses

The Ghana Armed Forces has disbursed the first tranche of compensation to over 450 farmers impacted by the construction of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway. Engineers cleared 175.6 kilometers of land, traversing agricultural lands and forests from Greater Accra through the Eastern and Ashanti regions. Brigadier General Jonas Wiafe, Director of Engineering Services at GAF, confirmed that payments have been made to more than half of the affected farmers, totaling 469.

Compensation ranges from GH₵ 350,000 to GH₵1,500 cedis, depending on the value of properties destroyed. The General assured that 800 farmers will be compensated by the end of the disbursement. Notably, no physical properties, such as mud houses or sandcrete structures, were destroyed during the clearance operation. The payment process is described as one of the shortest turnaround times in the construction industry.

Despite previous complaints from affected farmers about delayed compensation, Brigadier General Wiafe affirmed that the process is ongoing and funds are available to fulfill all commitments. The government plans to commence the construction of the road project by the end of the year, utilizing local funds to complete what will be Ghana's largest road infrastructure.