Tension mounts at Boankra

Boankra, (Ash), Nov. 04, GNA - Tension is brewing at Boankra in the Ejisu-Juaben district over the continued delay in the payment of compensation on lands acquired for the construction of the Inland Port project by the Ghana Shippers Council.

Families, landowners and individuals whose lands were acquired about five years ago for the project have given the government and the Ghana Shippers Council a one month ultimatum to pay them their compensation else they would reclaim their lands.

The have also asked Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways, who claimed that, the government had already paid the compensation on the lands to show them the person who received the amount on their behalf.

At a forum to discuss the delays in the payment of the compensation and the alleged pronouncements by Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi, that, the compensations had been paid, the landowners, who were visibly angry, threatened to reclaim their lands by the end of November if nothing was heard from the government and the Shippers Council.

About 400 acres of land were acquired by the Ghana Shippers Council about five years ago for the construction of the first Inland Port Project at Boankra.

At the moment, only the administration block of the Port had been constructed by the Council.

According to the landowners, what had been paid was compensation on crops to farmers whose farm produce were affected by the project. They pointed out that the lands were the only source of economic income to most of them and the continued delay in the payment of the compensation was affecting them and their dependants.

Mr. Baffour Afranie, Chairman of the Landowners Association, told the media at Boankra that, what they were demanding was compensation for their lands, which had been permanently been taken away from them. He said the land was the source of income to them and its confiscation without appropriate compensation could pose serious economic hardships to them and their dependants.

Present at the forum were Nana Kwame Poku Frimpong 11, Odikro of Bamso, Nana Kofi Adjei, chief of Manhyia and other opinion leaders.