Youths ln Afforestation Used And Dumped By Gov’t, Without Paying Us – Convener

The Akufo-Addo government has reportedly used and dumped scores of Ghanaian youths who supposedly been employed under its Youth In Afforestation Program.

Beneficiaries of the Youth in Afforestation program have reiterated the need for the government to pay them their one year allowances.

According to the beneficiaries life has become unbearable for them as the government has not paid them for the past 12 months.

They say, although they have held several meetings with stakeholders to demand their arrears, their issues have not yet been addressed.

Convener of the group, Nana Yaw Adjei, has been narrating to Obuoba Ofori Amanfo, the host of Ahenkan FM’s Maakye morning show, the severe hardship some of the beneficiaries have been subjected to as a result of the situation.

“From January till now, we have not been paid. It is really sad and very difficult for all of us. I can say on record that, we walk long distances to get to work. People are also being ejected from their houses because they can’t pay rent”, he stated

“We have to walk to work to maintain the trees being planted”

Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Benito Owusu Bio, has said the Ministry is in talks with the Ministry of Finance to pay the arrears owed Plantation Developers and Seedling Contractors.

The Youth in Afforestation programme was launched in 2018 in line with the government’s commitment to reafforestation, forest rehabilitation and forest protection activities.

There are about 100,000 beneficiaries of the programme across the country. The Forestry Commission had assured that allowances in arrears of beneficiaries of the youth in afforestation programme will be paid.

But the workers keep complaining that their allowances had not been paid. According to them, some of their members are even owed up to ten months of arrears.

The group had insisted that its members who are made up of about 45,000 people will also lay down their tools to drum home their demands.

THANK YOU for constantly reading stories on MyGhanaMedia.com,  news publishing website from Ghana. Kindly like, follow, comment and SHARE stories on all social media platforms for more entertaining updates!