Krachi has no stool lands -Paramount chief tells Judgement Debt Commission
The Paramount Chief of the Krachi Traditional Area, Nana Mprah Besemuna III, yesterday told the Judgement Debt Commission (JDC) that lands in Krachi are family lands, not stool lands, as claimed by some consultants.
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Therefore, he said, the compensation that the government paid to the various families whose lands were inundated following the construction of the Akosombo Dam in 1965 was justifiable.
The Krachiwura’s assertion went contrary to an earlier submission by a chartered surveyor, Osahene Kwaku Atekyi II, who had told the commission a month ago that most of the lands in the Volta River Basin Flooded Areas in the Volta Region were stool lands.
Nana Besemuna was at the commission to represent Nana Asetena Mensah, a sub-chief of Krachi who passed on recently.
The matter was in relation to compensation payment to the people of Kantakofore for the submerging of their lands following the construction of the Akosombo Dam.
Background
The lands around the Volta Basin were flooded following the construction of the Akosombo Dam in 1965 and the affected people were resettled by the state.
However, some clans in the Pai, Apaaso, Makango, Ahmandi and Krachi Traditional areas who were resettled after the submerging of their homes and farmlands went back to the government 50 years later to ask for compensation.
Consequently, the Cabinet gave the approval on July 23, 2008 for a consolidated amount of compensation totalling GH¢138 million for various stools and families in the Pai, Apaaso, Makango, Ahmandi and Krachi Traditional areas.
Compensation campaign
Nana Besemuna said following the flooding of the area, Nana Mensah launched a campaign to secure compensation for his people.
He said in 1978, Nana Mensah wrote a letter to the Lands Commission, copied to the then Head of State, demanding compensation for the submerged lands.
The Krachiwura said Nana Mensah stated in the letter that the submerged lands were family lands and appealed to the government to pay compensation to the various families.
He said when the people of Pai signed a contract with a consultant, Mr Peter Abbam, for him to push for the payment of compensation a few years ago, Nana Mensah encouraged his people to join hands with the people of Pai.
He said the people of Kantankofore received GHc1,441,352.20 compensation for the submerging of their land.
The Krachiwura said Nana Mensah, who was his elder brother, gave him the power of attorney to receive the compensation on his behalf and on behalf of the Asetena family.
Other cases
The Paramount Chief of the Kulli Traditional Area in the Northern Region, Kulliwura Ewatomah Issifa Boressah I, had earlier appeared before the commission with respect to compensation payment to him.
Counsel for the Kulliwura, Mr Joseph S. Awudu, told the commission that five families were at the High Court in Tamale contesting the Kulliwura over the land.
Mr Awudu, therefore, prayed the commission not to delve into the issue, since answers from the Kulliwura could affect the outcome of the High Court on the matter.
The Sole Commission, Mr Justice Yaw Apau, acknowledged that fact and just asked the Kulliwura to tell the commission whether he had received any compensation or not.
The Kulliwura confirmed that he had received some compensation for the submerging of their land.
