One person has been arrested after some police accoutrement was found on him at a demonstration held in Kumasi by some aggrieved beneficiaries of the Youth in Afforestation Program.
The angry beneficiaries had converged at the Jubilee Park in Kumasi and were protesting over unpaid stipends which have been accrued for months.
Speaking to newsmen over the development, Manhyia Divisional Commander, ACP Kwaku Buah said the suspect has been invited for questioning.
“I saw a handcuff attached to his belt so I tried to find out from him about where he got the handcuffs from but he could not give any further explanation. Every country has its laws and our laws bar civilians from possessing such equipment and so he is in police custody assisting in investigations,” Manhyia Divisional Commander ACP Kwaku Buah told newsmen Wednesday.
Ultimatum
Meanwhile, some leading members of the group calling themselves the Coalition of Youth in Afforestation are currently at the police station to observe proceedings.
The protesters, numbering about 300 have however, served notice it will embark on series of actions if their stipends are not paid by the end of week.
“The government has engaged us yet the government is not paying us. If you compare NABCo to us there is a policy on NABCO. For youth in afforestation, there is no policy. We have no insurance. If our members go to the bush and get themselves hurt, we have to bear the cost,” explained one of the beneficiaries Nana Agyei Brainnormal who spoke to DailyMailGh.com
“We have worked for the past six months. We have not received our salaries,” another beneficiary complained.
This is the third time Youth in Afforestation recruits in the Ashanti Region are embarking on a protest since the program was launched in 2018.
The development comes at a time beneficiaries of the Nations Builders’ Corps( NABCO) had raised concerns about their unpaid allowances.
By J. Ofori, Daily Mail GH
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