It would be recalled that farmers at the Tono Irrigation Scheme expressed their dissatisfaction with the management of the Irrigation Company of Upper Region (ICOUR), specifically calling for the departure of the Managing Director, Dr. Benedict Bonaventure Aligebam.
The farmers noted that their relationship with ICOUR had been positive for many years until the appointment of Dr. Aligebam. Since his tenure began, the farmers say they have observed a shift from collaborative management to an autocratic style, which they claim has excluded stakeholders and farmer leaders from critical decision-making processes.
Pressure continues to mount on Dr. Benedict Bonaventure Aligebam as the Tono Water Users Association has joined calls for him to be removed as head of ICOUR.
When the Chairman of the association, Robert Kwame Aboko, spoke to A1 Radio’s Mark Smith on the Day Break Upper East Show, he said Dr. Aligebam’s tenure had been characterized by chaos, disrespect for farmers and community members, as well as the continuous reduction in farmers’ profits.
“His being in office is not helping us. ICOUR is a service provider and we pay levies to ICOUR for them to give water to farmers for production. We pay the levies, but water delivery to us is where the challenge is. We have complained several times. We have met with farmers and called the manager to meet with them. Even at the meeting with farmers, he just stood there for some time and left. We have seen that his being in office would not help us to produce.”
“Instead of producing more, we produce less,” he stressed.
Dr. Aligebam, who was due for retirement on December 7, 2023, wrote to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, requesting a two-year post-retirement contract. However, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Bryan Acheampong, on February 2, 2024, wrote to the Board Chairman of ICOUR not to extend the stay of the embattled ICOUR Managing Director. The minister, however, granted him a 3-month contract.
The former Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, who was the Board Chairman of ICOUR, in March 2024, wrote to Dr. Aligebam, directing him to “hand over his duties to the next Senior Management Officer while steps are being taken for a replacement.”
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Bolgatanga
