Agriculture

‘We’re yet to receive our stipends despite recent assurance’ – Youth in Afforestation

Beneficiaries of the government’s Youth in Afforestation programme say they are yet to receive their allowances as promised by government.

Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, John Alottey, on February 15, 2022, assured the youth that they will be paid this week after they had picketed in front of the Forestry Commission.

“The assurance is that by this week, you will be paid. By the close of the day, I will be able to confirm the number of months,” he said.

But the youth say they are yet to receive payment from the Commission.

The Convener of the Youth in Afforestation, Bossman Adu Twum Annin, told Citi News the group was promised two months allowance this week and the other two months to be paid later.

“Yesterday [Thursday], I called to confirm, and they said today [Friday]. I made another call this [Friday] morning, and they said I should wait till the close of day. I told them by 5:00 pm, I will check our accounts to confirm whether the money is in the accounts, if not, we would meet with our members on Monday again to see the way forward.”

Some personnel of the program on Monday, February 14, 2022, picketed in front of the Forestry Commission office in Accra to press home their demands over stipends owed them for more than 4 months, and also demand better working conditions.

They wielded placards with inscriptions such as: “No long talk, pay us our money o”, “No allowance, No Green Ghana”, “We are hungry, no money to feed our families, pay us oo,” amongst others to express their concerns.

Adding to the complaints, the Convener stated that each person is to plant 300 trees a day to aid government achieve its aim of planting more trees.

“We are not slaves, the government should pay us. Imagine people coming from far distances to work. We are suffering from hunger and facing humiliation from our landlords. We need to pay schools fees as well.”

They warned that if their stipends are not paid them, they would sabotage the government’s Green Ghana Project.

Source: citinewsroom

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. In addition to his media ventures, Solomon serves as a Brand Ambassador for Alabuga, a prominent Russian industrial company, representing their interests and expansion across Africa. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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