Advertisement

Government paid GH¢55,440 compensation for 27.72 acres of Elmina land

The Chief Valuer in charge of compensation at the Lands Commission, Mr Kwesi Bentsi-Enchill, has said the government paid GH¢55,440 for only 27.72 acres of land and not for the entire 223.19 acres secured under Executive Instrument EI 22 for the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) Workers Village at Elmina in the Central Region in 1980.

That, he said, was after EI 22 had been  amended.

Mr Bentsi-Enchill said this when he appeared before the Judgment Debt Commission at the Old Parliament House in Accra yesterday.

Appearing with the Chief Valuer was the Head of Legal Services of SSNIT, Mr Peter Hayibor.

Mr Bentsi-Enchill said his office was aware of the acquisition of the land in 1980 and GH¢55,440 was paid as compensation to the Ntwaa Nsona family of Elmina.

“The EI 22 of 1980 was amended by EI 4 of 2003 down to 22.72 acres and that the Ntwaa Nsona family was the only claimant under the acquisition and the payment was made in respect of the 27.72 acres,” he said.

For the rest of the land, Mr Bentsi-Enchill said, he believed that it went back to whoever owned it prior to the EI 22 of 1980 acquisition.

No compensation, he said, was paid for the rest of the land.

Asked by counsel for the commission, Mr Dometi Kofi Sokpor, whether valuation and development services were part of his outfit, he responded in the negative.

The Sole Commissioner, Mr Justice Yaw Apau, said the testimony was very clear since the commission wanted to know whether the compensation was for the entire 223.19 acres secured under EI 22.

Taking his turn, Mr Hayibor admitted knowing something about the land acquired for the SSNIT village at Elmina, when he was asked by Mr Sokpor whether he knew something about it.

He said as part of the development of workers houses for the country, plots of land were acquired in the regional capitals and the developments started in phases.

Along the line there was the need to take a look at the scheme and they decided to reduce the rate at which it was being done.

“As part of that, almost throughout the country in the regional capitals where the lands were acquired, portions were ceded. In this particular situation SSNIT decided to retain only 27.72 acres of the land,” he said.

Mr Hayibor said the decision was then communicated to the Lands Commission and the Lands Valuation Board, leading to the amendment of the EI 22 to cover only 27.72 acres.

He confirmed the payment of GH¢55,440, which he said was paid through the Lands Valuation Board per a letter dated October 26, 2004.

Mr Justice Apau said the testimony of Mr Hayibor confirmed what the Chief Valuer had said “so, in fact, nothing untoward has happened to the remaining land as we thought”.

By Emmanuel Bonney & Alima Awudu

Connect With Us : 0242202447 | 0551484843 | 0266361755 | 059 199 7513 |