Asene farmers demand compensation for farms destroyed by Accra-Kumasi expressway

More than 200 farmers from Akyem Asene, located near Oda in Ghana's Eastern Region, have called upon the government to provide adequate compensation for their farms and plantations destroyed during the construction of the new Accra-Kumasi expressway. These properties, which encompass cocoa farms, food crop farms, and oil palm plantations, were the primary sources of income for the affected individuals.

Wearing red pieces of cloth around their heads, necks, and arms, the farmers participated in a demonstration through key streets of Asene before converging at the Asene durbar ground to address journalists. Representatives of the impacted farmers, including Kofi Koranteng Sarpong, Yaw Peprah, Da Costa Asamoah, and Yaw Ampomah Asiedu, alternated in describing the economic struggles they have faced since their farms were destroyed over eight months ago.

They lamented the difficulty in meeting daily needs and paying for their children's education at tertiary institutions due to the loss of their farms. Mr. Asamoah recounted struggling financially after his eight-acre cocoa farm was destroyed in February 2026, noting that the farm had previously generated an annual income of around GH¢40,000.

Mr. Koranteng Sarpong expressed concern over the failure of surveyors to measure the farms of more than 20 affected farmers, including his own, to determine the extent of damage and the corresponding compensation. Samuel Tieku, the Head of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) survey team for the project, confirmed to the Daily Graphic that some destroyed farms had not been measured to assess the damage.

He explained that the original expressway width was 120 meters, but it was increased to 150 meters, affecting additional farmers.