The Member of Parliament for Nabdam Constituency in the Upper East Region, Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaani, is calling for a swift government intervention to what he described as “the alarming rate of at which elephants have invaded and destroyed crops in Sekoti, a community in the Nabdam District.”
Speaking to the media at a press conference, Dr. Nawaani noted that “This year alone, over 3,000 hectares of farmlands got destroyed by marauding elephants, and a population of 10,000 people across Nabdam likely to suffer severe hunger as a result.”
He observed that Government over the period has not shown any seriousness to the livelihood of the affected farmers in sekoti.
Dr. Nawaani told the pressmen that government must as a matter of urgency intervene by putting in place mitigating measures particularly to compensate all persons in the area who have suffered crop losses and human injury.
He concluded his briefing by admonishing the people of Nabdam to ignore what he described as a failed NPP and Akufo Addo government and vote massively for himself and John Dramani Mahama on December 7.
Find the full details of the press briefing below:
ELEPHANTS INVADING AND DESTROYING OUR FARMLANDS
- Good morning ladies and gentlemen from the media, and thank you once again for swiftly responding to our invitation, despite the short notice. It is of grave concern that I invite you to this emergency press briefing, following the alarming rate at which elephants have invaded and destroyed crops in the last three years, in the Sekoti enclave of the Nabdam District, and rendering hundreds of people helpless.
- It is trite knowledge that majority of the people of Sekoti depend largely on their annual food crops for their livelihood and wellbeing. Indeed, crop raiding by elephants has had a toll on the lives of the people of Sekoti enclave, and so it is time for government to intervene in order to alleviate the plight of the people, considering the fact that these victims invest so much into their farms, and in the end reap virtually nothing.
- This year alone, over three thousand (3,000) hectares of farms got destroyed by marauding elephants, and the estimated population that is likely to suffer severe famine is about ten thousand (10,000) people across Nabdam.
- Again, about one thousand (1,000) hectares of rice farms got destroyed, and at least two thousand (2,000) maize farms have been devastated.
- I wish to state that it is crucial that mitigation measures are put in place by government, particularly to compensate all persons who have suffered crop losses and human injury. To that I extent, I call on the government to as a matter of urgency immediately identify all affected persons in the Sekoti enclave who are victims of this situation, and come to grant relief to the affected populace.
CONCLUSION
Friends from the media, ladies and gentlemen, it is sad to say the least, that this government is losing the fight in almost all spheres of life, even including the very livelihood of the poor farmer.
This government has slept on this matter and pretending all is well with the people of Sekoti, when all indicators point to the fact that there is a looming severe hunger that is luring its ugly head. Yet, this government, after all the gargantuan borrowing, is sitting aloof and waiting for a tragedy to happen, then they will come crying more than the bereaved.
This is why, I wish to call on the good people of Nabdam to ignore the deceitful and failed NPP/Akufo Addo government, and vote massively for the Nation Builder, JOHN MAHAMA, and DR. MARK NAWAANE on 7th December, 2020, to rescue this country and restore a sound economy that would create equal opportunities for all.
Signed,
HON. DR. MARK-KURT NAWAANE,
MP, NABDAM
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHZ|Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen/Ghana
