Over 200 Farmers Cry For Compensation As Accra–Kumasi Expressway Project Destroys Their Farms

According to a report by KessbenTV on Thursday October 29, More than farmers at Akyem Asene, near Oda in the Eastern Region, have appealed to the government to urgently pay them adequate compensation following the destruction of their farms to make way for the construction of the Accra–Kumasi Expressway.

The affected farmers say the loss of their agricultural properties has plunged them into severe financial difficulties, leaving many struggling to provide for their families, settle everyday expenses and pay the tertiary education fees of their children.

The farms affected by the ongoing road project include cocoa plantations, food crop farms and oil palm plantations, which served as the primary sources of income for several households in the community.

The aggrieved farmers say they have endured months of uncertainty since their properties were cleared, with some claiming that they are yet to receive compensation for the economic losses they have suffered.

In a demonstration to draw attention to their plight, some of the affected farmers wore red cloths around their heads, necks and arms as they marched through principal streets of Asene before gathering at the community’s durbar ground to address the media.

The protest was intended to draw the attention of the government and the agencies responsible for the expressway project to their concerns and the urgent need to address their compensation claims.

Speaking on behalf of the affected farmers, Kofi Koranteng Sarpong, Yaw Peprah, Da Costa Asamoah and Yaw Ampomah Asiedu described the difficult circumstances they have faced since losing their farms more than eight months ago.

They explained that farming had been their main source of livelihood and that the destruction of their crops had significantly reduced their ability to support their households.

For many of them, the situation has become particularly worrying because the income generated from their farms was used not only to provide food and meet household expenses but also to finance the education of their children.

One of the affected farmers, Da Costa Asamoah, disclosed that he lost an eight-acre cocoa farm in February 2026. The farm reportedly generated an average annual income of approximately GH¢40,000 before it was destroyed to pave the way for the expressway project.

He said the loss of the plantation had left him facing serious economic challenges, as the farm had been an important source of income for his family.

The farmers are therefore calling on the authorities to expedite the compensation process so they can begin rebuilding their livelihoods and meet their financial responsibilities.

Another major concern raised by the farmers is the failure to assess some of the affected properties to determine the compensation due to their owners.

Kofi Koranteng Sarpong expressed concern that the farms belonging to more than 20 farmers, including his own, had not been measured by the relevant officials to establish the extent of the damage.

Without the necessary measurements and valuations, the affected farmers fear that the process of determining and paying their compensation could face further delays.

The Head of the Ghana Highway Authority survey team working on the expressway project, Samuel Tieku, confirmed that some farms had yet to be measured.

He explained that the original design of the expressway provided for a width of 120 metres, but the planned corridor had subsequently been expanded to 150 metres.

The adjustment meant that additional farms were affected, increasing the number of properties requiring assessment.

Mr Tieku appealed to the farmers to remain calm, assuring them that their concerns would be communicated to the appropriate authorities for the necessary assessment and payment of adequate compensation.

His remarks provide some indication of the administrative challenges associated with identifying and valuing all the properties affected by the project.

However, the farmers continue to seek a clear resolution to their concerns, particularly regarding when their outstanding compensation will be paid.

The Benkumhene of Asene, Nana Ntiamoah Nyarko, has also supported the farmers’ demand for compensation, urging the government to take immediate steps to ease their economic hardship.

He argued that, under normal circumstances, the affected farmers should have received compensation before their farms were destroyed to facilitate construction activities.

The traditional leader’s intervention has added to calls for the authorities to ensure that people whose properties have been affected by major development projects receive fair treatment and appropriate compensation.

The situation has renewed attention on the challenges faced by landowners and farmers along the route of the Accra–Kumasi Expressway, a major infrastructure project expected to improve transportation between Ghana’s two largest cities.

The expressway is intended to reduce travel time, ease pressure on the existing Accra–Kumasi highway and improve the movement of people and goods between communities along the corridor.

However, the concerns raised by the farmers highlight the need to balance the expected national benefits of the project with the immediate economic needs of those whose livelihoods are directly affected by the construction.

In September 2026, the Ghana News Agency reported that more than 800 farmers whose farms fell within the expressway’s right-of-way were expected to receive compensation.

At the time, 469 farmers had reportedly received payments ranging from approximately GH¢1,500 to GH¢350,000, while the compensation process for others remained ongoing. Ghana News Agency

The latest appeal from the farmers at Akyem Asene underscores the importance of ensuring that outstanding claims are properly assessed and resolved without unnecessary delays.

For the affected households, the issue extends beyond the construction of a new road. It concerns the loss of productive farmland, reduced household income and uncertainty over how to sustain their families while awaiting compensation.

The farmers are hoping that the government and the relevant project authorities will respond to their concerns and ensure that those whose properties have been destroyed receive the compensation due to them.

As work on the Accra–Kumasi Expressway progresses, the affected farmers say timely and adequate compensation is essential to help them recover from their losses and prevent the country’s infrastructure development efforts from leaving rural households struggling to survive.

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