Brong Ahafo
farmers declared foreigners in Dadieso Enchi
Reinstate
dissolved Civil Aviation Board-Minority
Brong
Ahafo farmers declared foreigners in Dadieso Enchi
Accra (Greater Accra)
07 November 2002-The Parliamentary Committee on Interior and Defence has been
asked to liase with the Ministry of Interior to bring about law and order in
the Dadieso Enchi Traditional Area in the Western Region.
The First Deputy
Speaker, Hon. Freddie Blay who presided, gave the order after members had
contributed to a statement on "Ghana farmers declared foreigners in
Ghana" by Mrs Anna Nyamekye, NPP-Jaman.
The members said over
70 farmers from the Brong Ahafo Region have been driven out of their farms in
the Dadieso Enchi Traditional Area in the Western Region adding that "The
Farmers have had their farms forcibly taken from them by the chiefs and people
of the area."
She said the farmers
who mostly came from Jaman District had contracted the land through the laid down
traditions and customs of the area. Mrs Nyamekye who is also the Deputy
Minister of Environment and Science, said she tried to resolve the matter
through peaceful negotiations with the chiefs and people of the area but
"all efforts and overtures made were to no avail."
"I find it hard
to believe that the scenario of land seizure from so called 'foreigners' in
their own country is unveiling here in Ghana and not in some well known African
country," she noted.
She said: "The
chief who is alleged to have given the quit order is a retired police
Commissioner. So it is not as if he does not understand his actions." Papa
Owusu Ankomah, Majority Leader, called on the security agencies to move swiftly
to restore law and order in the area.
He said the aggrieved
persons should also resort to the Law courts to redeem their assets. The
Majority Leader said government is pursuing a uniform land tenure system for
the whole country and that government would not countenance such lawlessness.
Joseph Boahene Aidoo,
Western Regional Minister, said the people of the area are lawless and live
like" an island from the rest of the region".
He said the law of the
jungle prevails in the area but when he tried to bring them to book" some
people called me all sorts of names, some even say that I'm involving myself in
their chieftaincy affairs."
Isaac Adjei-Mensah,
Deputy Minority Leader, said the chief has erred and can not justify what he
has done by any law or tradition Captain Nkrabea Effa Dartey (Rtd),
NPP-Berekum, said government should solve the problem once and for all since it
could bring about reprisals which would fatal.
He said while nations
in Europe are uniting, we "in Ghana, a small country are drawing apart. We
are all Ghanaians living under one law, one administration, no Ghanaian is a
foreigner anywhere."
Other members called
for a holistic approach to issue since the issue of "the settler
farmer" is costing the nation a lot.
GRi…/
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Reinstate
dissolved Civil Aviation Board-Minority
Accra (Greater Accra)
07 November 2002- The Minority in Parliament has called for the immediate
reinstatement of the dissolved Ghana Civil Aviation Authority to enable it to
continue its work of exposing any fraud at the authority.
They also called for
the interdiction and prosecution of the top management of GCAA and all those
involved in the deal and asked the Vice President to tell Ghanaians what action
he took when the Board reported the matter to him.
Hon. Doe Adjaho,
Minority Chief Whip said this at a press conference at Parliament House to
complain about the $2.5m scandal at the GCAA.
He said following the
“Daily Dispatch” publication the Minority decided to probe further the
authenticity of the story and their preliminary investigations so far have been
quite revealing.
Hon. Adjaho said their
investigations confirmed that an amount of $2.5m was illegally paid to Messrs
Skanska, which was in connection with the Phase two rehabilitation of the
Kotoka International Airport (KIA) (interim Payment Certificate dated 21
December, 2001).
He said the bank that
honoured the said cheque was the (Hong Kong Shanghai Bank Company) HSBC
Investment Bank, London and the letter was written by one S. Osei-Ansah, Acting
Deputy Director-General for the Ag. Director-General addressed to the Project
Director of Skanska.
Hon. Adjaho said
Osei-Ansah indicated in the letter that "certain internal mechanisms put
in place at GCAA before a certificate was approved for payment was not
followed", and indicated inter alia," Gentlemen .This is a major
issue - with one or more necks on the chopping block. I suggest we refund and
avoid a storm".
Hon. Adjaho said the
Board of GCAA was kept in the dark regarding this transaction but when it got
wind of it the Board warned Osei-Ansah and Capt. Boachie to return the money to
GCAA immediately.
According to him the
board subsequently informed the Vice President about this fraudulent
transaction.
He said "these
findings raise interesting questions such as: Why was the Board which blew the
whistle about this fraud be dissolved whilst the perpetrators are at post and
why are Tsatsu Tsikata, Victor Selormey and Hon. Dan Abodakpi MP-Keta are being
prosecuted for payments without authority (causing financial loss to the state)
whilst the officials of GCAA and their cohorts are not".
Hon. Adjaho asked why
this matter was not reported to the Minister of Roads and Transport and accused
the NPP Government of covering up some people connected with the fraudulent
deal.
The Minority also
questioned why laid down procedures were not followed noting that the President has sworn to defend and
protect the Constitution and to do justice to all manner of persons, so "we
expect the President to uphold this oath.”
Hon. Adjaho said “the
Minority keenly awaits the action of government in this matter and would advice
itself accordingly."
GRi…/
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