A Divisional Chief of Balawa Traditional Area Naa Yakubu Gbognara has been Arrested and Detained in Police Custody Over Issues of a Community Fishing Agreement with the Fisheries Commission.

Speaking on Tejaayela Program on Home Radio, Monday 17th April 2023, A Journalist by Name Warris Anaakaa revealed the development and dug deep into the issues surrounding it in an interview with the Assembly Member.

Siiru Dam Located in Wa West District had major development setbacks in September 2022 According to the Assembly Member, Hon. Richard Wulo Siiru.

“…We had information that the bridge project of Balawa has stalled because more resources were not forthcoming, some elders of Balawa, Siiru, Kangba were arrested and we want to dig deep Into the issue..” – Warris Anaakaa Stated.

According to the Assembly Member of Balawa, The Issues originated when they invited the Fisheries Commission to partner with them in trading their fish for cash, this development was agreed upon by the Fisheries Commission and as a result it was agreed that when fishing is done the community will be entitled to 2/3 of the harvest, in the first harvest, Ghc3600 was realized and the community was given Ghc2400 as returns from Fisheries Commission.

This money According to the Assembly Member was used to purchase iron rods for a project being undertaken on the dam site. He added that some staff of the Commission later alleged that aside them some third parties were harvesting fishes from the dam without official authorization, a breach of agreement.

This resulted in some police officers storming the community to make arrests, after being unable to identify their suspects at the dam site, they resorted to inviting the chief of Balawa and some renowned elders to the Police Station.

The Assembly Member added that the police tipped three people as suspects including the Chief of Balawa and Yakubu Kassim but couldn’t locate one person by name Bipo Francis, a committee member of the dam construction project because his phone was switched off, this compelled the police to detain the Chief of Balawa.

He continued that a Police CID admitted he saw some signs of illegal fishing in the Dam

“..When I spoke with the CID in charge, he admitted that he saw a fishing net and some fishes by the dam a sign that some people were fishing there, he resorted to consulting the chief of the Area(Balawa Naa) who suggested several people visit the community and as a result it’s possible one was secretly fishing in the dam..”

“.. Fisheries Commission has not given enough attention to our dam for 20 years now, we all believe natural resources are owned by the government, the fishes there are natural and not nurtured by Fisheries Commission, the commission only came there to fish twice..”.

Source: Upperwestmedia.net