Eric Edem Agbana, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ketu North, has led a delegation of chiefs, rice farmers and concerned youth from Weta to petition the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for urgent rehabilitation of the deteriorating Weta Irrigation Scheme.
The petition, presented on Monday, was received on behalf of the Minister by Mr John Dumelo, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, who assured the delegation of the government’s commitment to rehabilitating the scheme and supporting farmers to revive the agricultural facility.
The delegation called for immediate intervention to restore the irrigation infrastructure and reclaim farmlands severely damaged by years of operational challenges.
The farmers said more than 1,200 families had been affected by the situation and appealed for appropriate compensation to help them recover their livelihoods.
They also called for a thorough investigation into the utilisation of World Bank funds released for the redevelopment of the scheme to ensure accountability and transparency in the implementation of the project.
Mr Agbana described the scheme as a critical agricultural asset with significant potential to boost rice production, create employment and strengthen Ghana’s food security.
He said the continued deterioration of the facility had imposed considerable hardship on farmers and their families, stressing the need for urgent and decisive government intervention.
The MP assured the delegation that he would continue to engage the relevant authorities to secure concrete action towards rehabilitating the scheme and addressing the concerns of affected farmers.
He said the intervention should result in a clear rehabilitation plan, accountability for funds committed to the project and a credible strategy to restore the livelihoods of farmers.
Mr Agbana reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the concerns of the people of Weta remained on the national agenda until meaningful progress was achieved.