Residents of the Ellembelle District in the Western Region have called on government to intervene and restore the inland valley rice project in the district.
According to the Presiding Member of the Ellembelle District, Shaibu Issa, government had been made to believe that the project had been completed.
He said in an interview with Citi News that: “They started this project and unfortunately some people gave a very wrong picture that the project had been completed, meanwhile when you come to the ground the farmers could not put the land into the purpose for which it was released,” he said.
He disclosed that the project if resuscitated could produce large quantity of rice for the whole of Ghana adding “as we speak now we cannot produce rice and this land can produce rice in larger quantity that can even feed the whole of Ghana but because of the way they handled the project people misinformed government.”
He therefore urged the government to fulfill its campaign promises made to the region adding that, if the project is revived it could reduce the mad rush for jobs at the Ghana gas by the youth in the area.
“We are calling on government especially our father President John Dramani Mahama who during his campaign talks promised to help the people of Ellembelle to come to our aid now,” he added.
The inland valley rice project started eight years ago. It was carried out in some 25 districts across the country including the Ellembelle district who secured 185 acres of land for the project. The project was funded by the African development bank with the objective of increasing rice production.
By: Patricia Conteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana