Hundreds of residents of Asutsuare, Akuse and other communities in the Shai-Osudoku District have staged a peaceful demonstration to demand urgent government intervention over poor roads and the collapse of the local rice market.
The protest, organised by the Osudoku Youth Association (OYA), brought together residents, elders, women’s groups, farmers, traders and the youth.
They marched through the principal streets of Asutsuare to Akuse before presenting a petition addressed to President John Dramani Mahama.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Save Osudoku Rice Farmers,” “Fix Our Roads Now,” and “Complete Our Projects,” the demonstrators described the action as a constitutional exercise to amplify their long-standing development concerns.
Addressing journalists, the Chairman of the Osudoku Youth Association, Mr Richard Nii Sai, said the people of Osudoku overwhelmingly supported President Mahama in the 2024 general election after he visited the traditional area and promised to prioritise its development.
Mr Sai said the lack of a market for locally produced rice was the most pressing challenge facing the area.
He noted that Asutsuare and its adjoining communities, regarded as one of Ghana’s major rice-producing hubs, have produced rice in abundance since 2025. However, thousands of bags remain unsold in warehouses because imported rice dominates the local market.
He appealed to the Government to introduce policies to protect the local rice industry and to direct the National Food Buffer Stock Company to purchase the stockpile to prevent farmers from incurring huge financial losses.
The demonstrators also expressed concern about the deplorable state of the Asutsuare-Akuse, Asutsuare Junction, Osuwem-Tsopoli and Volivo township roads. They said the roads have become almost impassable, especially during the rainy season.
Mr Sai disclosed that the poor road network has increased transportation costs, delayed access to healthcare, and contributed to significant post-harvest losses for farmers conveying produce to market.
Another major concern was the abandonment of Phase Two of the Kpong Irrigation Scheme Rehabilitation Project.
“The stalled project has left more than 300 farmers unable to cultivate over 600 hectares of developed farmland for the past two years, threatening jobs and food security,” he added.
He further called for the completion of the abandoned Asutsuare Market project, noting that market women continue to trade under the scorching sun and in the rain, while the unfinished structure has become a danger to residents.
The Association also demanded the immediate distribution of government-subsidised fertiliser to more than 2,400 farmers under the Kpong Irrigation Scheme, the completion of abandoned public toilet facilities in Asutsuare, Volivo, Osuwem and Akuse, and the initiation of constitutional processes to split the Shai-Osudoku Constituency into separate Shai and Osudoku constituencies.
The demonstrators stressed that the protest was peaceful and conducted in accordance with Article 21(1)(d) of the 1992 Constitution. They expressed confidence that the President would respond swiftly to their petition and address the seven development challenges facing the Osudoku Traditional Area.
By Nenebi Ayertey David
