Lands have been acquired for the construction of facilities such as hospitals, schools and roads, while buildings have been pulled down to make way for roads.
These actions will continue to be taken by the government and state institutions as we take steps to provide public goods for the well-being of the people.
For a couple of times that land and property owners have cried out for the payment of compensation to them, this concern has always been put on the back burner of national affairs.
However, since 2011 when the payment of judgement debt took centre stage, the payment of compensation has been scrutinised by everybody interested in the use of public funds.
Indeed, since the sole judgement debt commissioner began work, it has come out that some judgement debt payments have centred on the payment, either wrongfully or rightfully, of compensation to land and property owners.
Under the laws of the country, the government has the right to acquire lands to undertake projects in the interest of the public. Meanwhile, the same laws enjoin it to pay compensation to such property owners.
Unfortunately, our governments have abused that prerogative because of their power, thereby denying ordinary people the right to make a living out of their heritage.
This, we think, is not the right thing to do. There are international best practices from which Ghana can learn useful lessons.
Not too long ago, the US government granted Ghana financial assistance under the Millennium Challenge Account to undertake the George Bush Highway, otherwise known as the N1.
During the mobilisation period for the project, all property owners, including even so-called squatters, were identified for the payment of compensation.
We were even told that the initial delay that characterised the execution of the project was because the US government insisted that every property owner, including the squatters, must be paid compensation, with the US government insisting that it did not want the execution of the project to infringe on the property rights of the people and thereby dent its international human rights record.
On the contrary, our own governments tend to ignore the rights of the people to own property by their slow response to agitation for the payment of compensation to property owners.
Yesterday, scores of property owners affected by the Nsawam-Suhum and the Madina-Adenta road projects gave the government a week’s ultimatum to pay the compensation due them or risk the blockade of the two major roads.
The Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) set up to execute the millennium compact is still in existence and its officials can provide a useful guide for the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) and the Lands Commission to devise the appropriate means to pay compensation to land and property owners along those two road projects.
Some of the landowners have been denied their livelihoods.
While calling on the government to pay compensation to the landowners, we must say that we do not endorse the action of squatters.
It is for this reason that we appeal to the government to deal with the compensation payment immediately to prevent any mass action in the future.
Daily Graphic/Ghana
