The Ga Traditional Council has served notice it will not provide any more lands for the resettlement of Old Fadama residents who have been displaced by a recent demolition exercise.
Government has asked the chiefs to give out lands to serve as a temporary residence for persons whose homes were demolished.
Residents and chiefs of Adjen Kotoku where a facility has been partially prepared for the resettlement say they do not want the Old Fadama residents in the area.
[contextly_sidebar id=”y4XVHPwECawSaukaO07hIblBqNXwHZTu”]The Council who are legal owners of the lands are also kicking against the move.
Speaking to Citi News, the acting President of the Council, Nii Ayi Bonte said: “From 1960, Nkrumah relocated them to New Fadama, they were also relocated to Darkuman, why should they be relocated to places of their choice?This time we will not agree.”
The Municipal Chief Executive of Ga West, Samuel Atukwei who was responding to concerns raised by the chiefs stated on Eyewitness News stated government is still willing to collaborate with the chiefs to meet their demands.
He was optimistic that the chiefs will change their minds after negotiations with government.
“We will listen to everybody and government will take everyone’s opinion into consideration and once they [chiefs] are convinced that what government is doing will inure to the people’s benefit, I’m sure they will agree”
Mr. Atukwei pointed out that the chiefs are resisting government’s decision because the erstwhile Kufuor administration failed to “make funding available for the legitimate acquisition of lands in the area.”
“Until last year when government released close 2 million Ghana cedis to begin the compensation process, government at the time did not release any money… government failed to compensate them so the chiefs started selling the lands,” he explained.
Mr. Atukwei said government will have to resort to other options if the chiefs still fail to hand over their lands.
“There is however a plan B that government is planning to resort to.The plan B is that there is another land which belongs to another agency . That land has not been occupied by any private resident and it is possible that if negotiations are concluded, these markets can be given out to those resident”
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By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah