Fertiliser Smuggling Must Be Stopped Now!

THE president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was last week, forced to order the security agencies to curb the spate of smuggling of subsidised fertilisers from Ghana, to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Togo.

He also invited the traditional leaders in the Upper East to support the security agencies to stop the smugglers.

The President who was disturbed about the increased spate of smuggling of fertilisers, particularly in that part of the country told the chiefs that it was very worrisome to allow some handful of miscreants to smuggle the products which was meant for Ghanaian formers.

He admonished the people in that area to be mindful of the fact that, it was the taxes of the people that were used by the government to procure the fertilisers that were subsidised at 50 per cent for the farmers.

The President also called on the chiefs and people in the area not to hesitate to expose any security personnel or civil servant who engage in smuggling of fertilisers in the area.

The Ghanaian Times fully appreciates the worry of the President's and the passion with which he appealed to the chiefs and people to support the security agencies to curb the illegal activities of smugglers.

Indeed, it is worrisome and shameful that, while the government is making streneous efforts to support farmers in realising the objectives of the Planting For Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme and to increase food production, few saboteurs would embark on such adventure.

We are also worried that these criminal activities of the smugglers, may in the long run jeopardise and derail the target set for agricultural production and further deepen the woes of farmers and consumers in the country.

The government no doubt has invested hugely in importation of fertilisers to support not only the PFJ programme, but farmers across the country to increase production.

And instead of all citizens supporting the government's efforts and allowing the fertilisers to go to the rightful beneficiaries, few nation wreckers, have decided to sabotage this laudable programme by smuggling the fertiliser to neighbouring countries for their parochial and selfish gains. That is unpatriotic and must be stopped!

We add our voice to that of the President, in calling on the security agencies to clampdown on the smugglers, in order stop them from their clandestine activities.

We urge the security services and the courts to punish anyone arrested severely to serve as deterrent to those who may be nursing the desire to engage in such criminal activities.

We must not allow very few people to have their way as their activities are likely to affect agriculture production negatively in the long run.

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