Temper justice with mercy - Victims appeal to Govt

Tepa Abotoase (V/R), April 12, GNA - Victims of the recent Wild Life Division of the Forestry Commission's eviction debacle in the Digya National Park on Wednesday appealed to the Government to temper justice with mercy.

The representatives of the over ten communities affected by the eviction order told the Ghana News Agency at Mancherikope a shabby-temporary abode near Tepa Abotoase, "we have been maltreated, harassed and deprived of our daily livelihood, we beg the Government and the International Community to help us."

The team, which included Ghana News Agency, Joy FM, Africa Regional Office of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiatives and People Dialogue, an NGO, spent about eight hours on the Lake, moving from one village to the other.

Villages visited included Digya, Hedzro, Zikpo, Supom Odome, and Mancherikope all in the Afram Plains District of the Eastern Region. The visit was to enable the media to observe at first hand the plight of over ten fishing communities forcefully evicted by officials of the Wild Life Division of the Forestry Commission.

hands of officials of the Wild Life and the security personnel from "Operation Cowleg" the Military team flashing out Fulani herdsmen from villages across the country.

Meanwhile Professor Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi, Minister of Habours and Railways on Wednesday confirmed the number of casualties as ten, with 64 saved.

The Minister who had just returned from the accident scene expressed concern about over-loading on the Lake in spite of the dangerous terrain and appealed to boat owners to adhere to safety measures.

He said the Ministry would seek funding to help the boat owners acquire non-wood boats to reduce the fatalities on the Lake. Prof Ameyaw-Akumfi urged the media to be circumspect in the quotation of figures as the earlier 120 fatalities quoted was outrageous and an exaggeration.

He emphasis, "the life of every citizen is very important to Government, community and family and no government would deliberately adopt measures or sit down unconcerned for its people to perish under such avoidable circumstance."

He urged the Wild Life Officials also to exercise restrain and disclosed that a Committee involving the Ministry of Habours and Railways and Ministry of Lands Forestry and Mines would be set-up to assess the eviction order.

Meanwhile, Mr Dali Ahialey a 35-year-old fisherman affected by the eviction appealed for re-demarcation of lands acquired for Digya National Park and the payment of adequate compensation to land owners. He expressed the hope that the re-demarcation and payments of adequate compensation would help prevent frequent confrontations between fishermen and farmers in communities along the Volta Lake and the District Forestry officials.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Hedzro, Mr Ahialey expressed disgust about the inhuman treatment by Game Wardens, who had consistently harassed and intimidate the poor fisher folks to vacate the settlement, which unfortunately fell within the zone demarcated for the park.

He, therefore, appealed to the government through the Eastern Regional Security Committee, the Department of Game and Wild Life and the Forestry Commission to temper justice with mercy and allow the settlers to continue their activities in a restricted location. In a related development, Ghana News Agency cited documents, which had instructed the settlers to vacate the zone since 1989, but they had remained adamant; the Afram Plans District Assembly issued another order in March 28th, 2002 to the settlers to vacate by the end of June 2002. The latest order was issued on February 10, 2006 by the Park Manager of the Wild Life Division of the Forestry Commission, Mr B Asamoah Boateng, ordering the settlers to vacate by February 28th; again the settlers refused until they were evicted on March 11, 2006. 12 April 06