The Ghana Armed Forces says the first tranche of compensation payments have been disbursed to over 450 farmers affected by the Accra-Kumasi Expressway project.

The soldiers cleared approximately 175.6 kilometers of land, wading through arable agricultural lands and forest cover from Greater Accra through the Eastern region to finally the Ashanti region.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony of the right of way clear to the President, Direct of Engineering Services at GAF, Brigadier General Jonas Wiafe noted that the compensations have been made to more than half of the affected farmers.

“As of today, the first tranche of compensation payment has been released to 469 farmers and the process is ongoing,” he noted.

Brigadier General Wiafe said the farmers were paid between GH₵ 350,000 cedis and GH₵1,500 cedis based on the valuation data of properties destroyed in the course of the clearance as released by the Ministry of Roads and Highways.

He assured that 800 affected farmers are expected to be compensated by the end of the disbursement.

He further revealed that no physical property, including buildings such as mud houses or sandcrete structures, whether completed or not, have been destroyed along the stretch during the clearing operation.

“This valuation and payment process, I must state, will obviously be recorded as one of the shortest turnaround periods in the construction industry,” he noted.

When JoyNews visited the road project weeks ago, some of the affected complained of not receiving their compensation as they patiently awaited the government's promise.

Brigadier General Wiafe assured farmers yet to be compensated that the payment process is ongoing and will soon reach them as funds are readily available to make all those commitments.

Meanwhile, the government is expected to break ground for the construction of the road project by the end of the year with funds sourced locally for the full completion of what will be the country’s biggest road infrastructure.