The petition, presented on Monday, was received on behalf of the Minister by Mr John Dumelo, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, who assured the delegation of the government’s commitment to rehabilitating the scheme and supporting farmers to restore the facility.

The delegation called for immediate intervention to repair the irrigation infrastructure and reclaim farmlands severely affected by years of operational challenges.

According to the farmers, more than 1,200 families had been affected by the deterioration of the scheme. They appealed to the government to provide appropriate compensation to help affected farmers recover their livelihoods.

The delegation also called for a thorough investigation into the utilisation of World Bank funds allocated for the redevelopment of the scheme to ensure transparency and accountability in the project’s implementation.

Mr Agbana described the Weta Irrigation Scheme as a critical agricultural asset with significant potential to increase rice production, create employment opportunities and strengthen Ghana’s food security.

He said the continued deterioration of the facility had caused considerable hardship for farmers and their families, emphasising the need for urgent and decisive government intervention.

The MP assured the delegation that he would continue engaging the relevant authorities to secure concrete action towards rehabilitating the scheme and addressing the concerns of affected farmers.

He stressed that the intervention should lead to a clear rehabilitation plan, accountability for funds committed to the project and a credible strategy to restore the livelihoods of affected farmers.

Mr Agbana reaffirmed his commitment to keeping the concerns of the people of Weta on the national agenda until meaningful progress was made towards restoring the irrigation scheme and supporting affected farming families.