[ 2021-02-12 ]

IGP directs police to protect tomato importers travelling to Burkina Faso
The Inspector-General of Police, James
Oppong-Boanuh has directed the deployment of armed
police officers to provide escort services for
tomato traders and transporters who travel to
neighbouring Burkina Faso to import the
commodity.

This comes after the Tomato Traders and
Transporters Association declared a strike because
of lack of concern for the security of its
members.

It had complained of attacks on its members by
robbers on the Ghana-Burkina Faso highway.

There were fears the strike could lead to a tomato
shortage.

The Association said seven of its members have
been robbed and shot in less than three weeks
while returning from Burkina Faso with tomatoes.

Two of them, however, died following the attacks
forcing traders and transporters to embark on a
strike over security concerns.

The Deputy Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP
David Agyeman Adjem, who met the traders on behalf
of the Inspector General of Police in a Citi News
interview assured of the Police’s support.

“The IGP sent me through the Regional Commander
to give them a message… the IGP wants me to
assure them that he has already had some men
deployed on that highway and that we should also
give them escorts as they go on the highway.”

DSP Adjem also said the police was exploring
possible military support for the police escorting
the tomato trucks.

The leadership of the Association welcomed the
intervention and said it will meet to decide on
when to call off the strike.

“I am very happy today because the rate at which
the were robbing us was very unprecedented,”
Eric Osei Tuffour, the National Chairman of the
Association, said to Citi News.

He added that following a meeting with the police
in the next two or three days, “the escort will
take off, and then we’ll call off the strike
action.”

Source - Citinewsroom

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