Accra-Kumasi Expressway: First tranche of compensation paid to 450 affected farmers – GAF

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has announced that the initial compensation payments have been made to more than 450 farmers impacted by the construction of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway. Soldiers cleared around 175.6 kilometers of land, including agricultural lands and forests, from Greater Accra through the Eastern to Ashanti regions.

At a ceremony where the right-of-way was handed over to President John Mahama, Brigadier General Jonas Wiafe of GAF stated that the compensation had been given to more than half of the affected farmers. As of now, 469 farmers have received payments, and the process continues. These payments ranged from 350,000 to 1,500 cedis per farmer, according to the Ministry of Roads and Highways' valuation data.

Wiafe assured that 800 farmers will be compensated by the end of the disbursement and emphasized that no physical properties, including mud houses and sandcrete structures, were destroyed during the clearance. The payment process is noted to be one of the quickest in the construction industry, according to Wiafe. When JoyNews visited the site recently, some affected farmers expressed frustration over not receiving their compensations as they waited for the government's promise.

Brigadier General Wiafe assured the remaining farmers that the payment process is ongoing and funds are available to fulfill all commitments. Construction of the road project is expected to commence by the end of the year with locally sourced funds, becoming Ghana's largest infrastructure project.