Nineteen years after the government had allegedly acquired 1,099 acres of land in the Ejisu Traditional area, the issue of non-payment of compensation to landowners keeps popping up.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ghana Free Zones Authority (FZA) and the Ejisu Traditional Council, on behalf of various stools in 2008, after the Government of Ghana had acquired 1,099-acre land at Boankra, Ampabame, Edwenase, Donaaso, Hwereso and Aduakorokyere in the Ejisu Traditional area.
The MOU was further sealed with a lease agreement between the two sides on January 29, 2022.
The Ghana Free Zones Authority claims it has since committed close to GH¢300.000 in the acquisition process with GH¢196,694.00 paid to sitting farmers and other occupants for the project to take off.
GFZA has also advanced GH¢70,000 to the Omanhene of Ejisu Traditional Area, Nana Oguakro Afrane Okese IV, besides GH¢60,000 representing part of assessed value of the acquired land the Authority paid to the Ejisu stool and a further GH¢13,000 to a private Surveyor contracted by the Ejisuhene, to independently survey the land.
These payments and the MOU and Lease agreements have placed an encumbrance on the land set aside for a specific activity, with the intention of growing Ghana’s economy from the creation of at least 5,000 direct jobs and 12,000 indirect jobs, under a Special Economic Zone area, under regulation of the Free Zones Authority.
A Committee of representatives of land owners at Ampabame, Adadientem, Abenase, Donaase, Ejisu-Manhyia, Asaapong, Hwereso, Edwenase and Nyinataase last month argued that no compensation has ever been paid to any of them, for which reason they have decided to take over their lands for their personal gains.
But the chief of Adadientem, Nana Adom Puni II, has collaborated claims by the landowners that no compensation has been paid to them and debunked claims by the GFZA that it has paid monies for the acquisition of the land.
The chief also denied being part of signing a Lease agreement between the GFZA and the Ejisu Traditional Council on behalf of representatives of various stools.
The said agreement mentioned Ampabame, Apampatia, Donaaso, Boankra, Duaprokye, Hwereso, Nyinataase, Abenase and Adadientem as chiefs, regents and representatives of stools under the Ejisu Traditional Council.
Nana Puni stated that to date, no compensation in respect of his 9.87 acres of land has been paid to him and emphasised that the said lease agreement of January 29, 2022 might have been forged because he did not append his signature to it, neither did Nana Oppong Kese, the chief of Hwereso, do so because he is late.
The Adadientem chief also explained that Hwereso could not have been represented at the signing ceremony because the Ejisuhene is not on speaking terms with the Queen mother of Hwereso, Nana Afia Amane.
Nana Puni has since reported the issue of non-payment of compensation for the 9.87 acres to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and called for his intervention to prevail on the Ejisu Traditional Council ensure that compensation affected all landowners who are claiming ownership of a total of about 950 acres for the takeoff of the Greater Kumasi Industrial Park, without any hindrance.
