The Chiefs and Residents of Kwahu Obo, who farm along the Kwahu Nkwatia-Bepong road bypass, are crying over destruction of their farms by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Abetifi, Mr Bryan Acheampong, who is also the minister for Food and Agriculture.
According to the Chiefs and Residents, the MP has taken over large tract of land and destroyed farm produce such as cocoa, cassava, garden eggs, pepper and other crops.
They quoted MP Acheampong as saying that the land is going to be used to construct a road from Nkwatia to Bepong.
Addressing a cross-section of the media at Obo palace, the two respected Chiefs, who spoke separately, averred that the MP has encroached and destroyed several farmlands without recourse to the owners.
The Krontihene and Ankobeahene of Obo Traditional Area, Nana Okofo Ampadu Kyeamire II and Nana Boamah Twerefuor II respectively, expressed grave concern over the activities of their Member of Parliament. They described as illegal and disrespectful the destruction of their farm produce without their knowledge.
The Obo Ankobeahene, in particular, noted that his royal family lands and those he had legally leased to some of the residents in the area to farm on, have been illegally taken over with the corresponding destruction of farm produce.
“Bryan Acheampong knew very well that the land, which he is claiming ownership belongs to the Obo Ankobeahene royal family.That’s why he (Bryan Acheampong) sometime ago bought a land from the Ankobeahene, Nana Boamah Twerefuor II for building”, he stressed.
To him, the posture of the MP amounts to using political power and leadership to intimidate them, adding that the level of impunity being experienced under his leadership cannot be measured.
He said the former Chief of Kwahu Nkwatia, Nana Atuobi Yiadom, never made an attempt to sell a plot of that land because he knew that Obo Ankobea is the real custodian of those lands, and they never had any form of misunderstanding during his time.
He called on the government to come out to explain to the good people of Kwahu Obo Ankobea royal family the agreement between them, which shows that the land has been released to the government for the construction of a road from Nkwatia to Bepong.
“We want to know the status of the work and whether the said road is being constructed by highways, urban roads or under cocoa roads, as well as the name of the contractor”, he added.
He continued that it will be in the best interest of the government to call on Mr Acheapong to rethink about making any attempt to take lands, without proper compensation and arrangement with the owners of the land.
The residents, particularly elderly women, who farm on the ‘seized’ land called on government to intervene by stopping the minister from further destruction of their farm produce.
Reacting to the issues raised on behalf of the minister for Food and Agriculture, the MP for Mpreaso, Davids Opoku Ansah indicated that the approach by the Chiefs was completely wrong, since Mr Acheampong was not constructing the road for his private use.
He hinted that the construction of the road is to reduce heavy traffic from Obomeng, Obo to Mpraeso, especially during the Easter festivities
“One of the strategies was that we are going to create alternative routes. So we are creating a route from Asakraka to Nkwatia, from Bepong to Mpreaso and some other routes”, he said.
He continued that, these are all part of the bigger agenda to ease traffic during the festive occasion, when there is heavy traffic. He described as unfortunate that the minister, who had lobbied for the project, is rather being accused of wrongdoing instead of being praised.
“Of course we know that if the government intends to construct a road and you have a property that will be affected, you don’t engage in doing videos to smear persons who have lobbied and are trying to get development to the community’, he said
The Mpreaso MP was of the view that the Chiefs and people should have rather engaged the leadership of the area and the Contractor to see how best compensation issues would be resolved.
“I mean it happens everywhere, in constructing Pokuase interchange road compensations were paid, Tema motorway too compensations were paid and it would be proper some negotiations can be done at the backdoor and compensations will be paid.
“I’m surprised that we want to smear Honorable Bryan Acheampong for a project that he lobbied for, which is beneficial to the entire community, these are projects that run through Bryan’s constituency and ends up in my constituency. In fact, I understand that a greater part of it is even in my constituency, so why is he blaming Bryan Acheampong for a project that government is initiating, he asked?
