Tomato transportation: Traders threaten strike over persistent robbery attacks

Members of the Ghana National Tomatoes Traders and Transporters Association (GNTTTA) have protested what they say is persistent robbery attacks on the Kumasi-Bolgatanga-Burkina Faso route.

Speaking to otecnews, Chairperson of the association, Eric Osei Tuffour said some tomatoes traders are in critical condition at the hospital following a similar attack.

“At 1:30 am, the same thing happened in Navolongo, they robbed them ¢50,000.00 and they were beaten, they are in critical condition,” he said.

He, therefore, called the authorities to help intensify security patrols on the routes.

“We are appealing to the ministry of interior, and to the inspector general of police to take an immediate action because we cannot sit for this to happen while supplying our nation tomatoes.”

“If we don’t hear anything from the appropriate leaders, we will go on demonstrating, park our vehicles, tomatoes will never come to Ghana for one week.”

On Tuesday, January 26, 2021, a 22-year-old truck driver, Urmar Salifu, was attacked and killed by high way robbers in the North East Region.

Narrating the incident, his father, Adam Suleman, said Urmar expressed fear ahead of his journey; “he said the armed robbers have been disturbing us so I am even scared.”

“On Sunday, he informed me of his travel. I had a call at midnight around 4:30 that he has been shot on Monday, he battled for life but lost it on Tuesday so I buried him and returned.”

He said his support for the protest is to seek some protection for the remaining drivers.

Joy News’ Prince Appiah reported six tomatoes trucks had been attacked since the beginning of the year.

According to him, the robbers had made away with an average of GH¢6,000.00 from traders in each attack.

The situation, according to the traders is unbearable as “they are really disturbing us, they take monies and shoot at you.”

“For the treatment from the armed robbers on the Burkina and Tamale road, we are pleading with the government to come to our aid as another person is currently battling for life,” a trader said.

The association is said to import about 70 trucks of tomatoes every day from Burkina Faso during the lean seasons.

Source: otecfmghana.com