Machomen Chase Out Journalists

Four journalists who had gone to Goaso in the Asunafo North Municipality of the Brong Ahafo Region to cover the destruction of cocoa farms for a road project were chased out by three well-built men. The men, who claimed to be acting on the orders of the paramount chief of Goaso, Nana Akwasi Bosomprah, threatened to shoot the journalists if they did not vacate the area. The journalists include Nestor Kafui Adjomah of Joy News, Daniel Dzirasah of the Ghanaian Times, Edward Adjei of The Business and Financial Times (B&FT), and Raphael Godlove Ahenu Jnr of Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF). Nestor Kafui Adjomah of Joy News told The Finder in an interview that farmers around SNNIT quarters at Goaso sent a distress message to him indicating that their cocoa, palm, plantain, maize and cassava farms are being destroyed without prior information or any compensation. He said they decided to cover the story, and upon reaching the site, they met heavily built-men who ordered them to vacate the area without delay. According to him, the men said the paramount chief of Goaso, Nana Akwasi Bosomprah, directed them to prevent the crew from covering the destruction of the crops. This resulted in war of words between the men and the reporters for close to an hour. When one of the journalists challenged the authority of the machomen, they threatened to shoot at the crew to set them as an example to the whole world that journalists are nothing. The men further dared the news team to attempt filming. The news team, sensing danger, eventually left the site. According to the farmers, when they inquired from the urban roads in Goaso, they learnt that the crops are being destroyed to make way for the construction of a 5-kilometer ring road from the SSNIT Quarters to Cocoa Station on the Goaso-Kumasi road. The farmers are therefore appealing to the central government to intervene in ensuring that the proper thing is done for them to get their compensation. An effort to get the Goasohene to get his side of the story was not successful as his phone was off as the time of filing this report.