Tarkwa: The Veterinary Services Department (VSD) has announced plans to initiate legal proceedings against the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Assembly (TNMA) due to alleged encroachment on segments of the Tarkwa Veterinary Investigation Sheep Farm situated at Kwabedu, near Tarkwa. The Department claims that attempts to reconcile the issue amicably with the Assembly have been unsuccessful.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Simon Gbene, a Veterinary Public Health Specialist, revealed in an interview that the Assembly's decision to construct a 24-hour economy market on part of the farm could pose significant public health risks because the facility functions as a disease investigation farm. Dr. Gbene emphasized that anthrax-infected carcasses have been buried on the land, which should remain undisturbed for years to prevent any health hazards.
He further elaborated that the farm is utilized for research, drug trials, and sample collection for laboratory analysis. The facility is the sole Veterinary Investigation Sheep Farm serving Southern Ghana, covering the Western, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Volta, and Oti regions. Dr. Gbene stated that the Assembly had been informed that the land is not suitable for market construction due to its current use and the potential health risks associated with it.
After the Assembly failed to address these concerns, Dr. Gbene disclosed that the matter was referred to the Attorney-General's Department in the Western Region. The Assembly reportedly justified its actions by pointing to existing encroachment on parts of the land. Dr. Gbene estimated the losses from the alleged encroachment at GH1.5 million and indicated that the Department intends to seek legal redress to recover these costs.
He noted that although there had been previous encroachments, a fencing initiative by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and a fuel station operator had mostly mitigated the issue until the Assembly's recent actions. Dr. Gbene warned that excavation at the proposed market site could unearth anthrax spores, posing health risks to nearby residents and traders.
Residents of Kwabedu, while not opposed to the market initiative, urged the Assembly to identify a safer location for the project. They stated they would hold the Assembly accountable for any disease outbreak linked to the project and called on the Ministry of Health to intervene.
In response, Mr. Ebenezer Cobbinah, the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Chief Executive, confirmed that the Assembly had requested a portion of the land for the market project but declined further comments, citing that the matter is currently with Mr. Joseph Nelson, the Western Regional Minister. A visit by the Ghana News Agency to the Tarkwa Veterinary Investigation Sheep Farm on July 19, 2026, showed that a section of the land had already been graded.