Pay adequate compensation to farmers-House urges Ministry

MPs show concern about poor state of roads

Ministry is concerned about coastal erosion problems-Adjei-Mensah

Accra (Greater Accra) 24 Nov '99

Parliament on Tuesday urged the Ministry of Lands and Forestry to ensure that farmers whose farmlands are destroyed are paid fair, equitable and adequate compensation.

This followed concerns expressed by some members about the low level of compensation normally paid to farmers whose farmlands are taken over by the government.

Mr. Albert Kan-Dapaah, NPP-Afigya west, had asked Mr. Isaac Kwadwo Adjei-Mensah, Minister of Works and House whether he will investigate why some of the claimants in Nkwantakese received as little as 30,000 cedis in respect of compensation for crops, recently paid by the Ghana Water Company Limited.

Mr. Adjei- Mensah explained that the amount paid represent only 50 per cent of the actual amount due them because the claimants and their chiefs had agreed to a 10 per cent deduction for the development of their areas.

He said the claims, which were prepared by the Land Valuation Board covered only the crops destroyed at the time of the take over and not the land.

The Minister's answer did not go down well with the Parliamentarians who pleaded for a better yardstick for the determination of compensation.

Members who added their voice to the clamour for better rates of compensation to farmers included Dr Kwabena Adjei, Majority Leader, Mr Charles Omar Nyanor, NPP-Upper Denkyira and Mr Ebenezer Kobina Fosu, NDC-Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa.

They wondered about the yardstick the Ministry of Lands and Forestry used to determine compensation and pleaded with the sector Minister to take appropriate measures to rectify the anomaly.

Mr Ken Dzirasah, First Deputy Speaker who was in the chair, urged the leadership of the House to invite the sector Minister to explain to members his Ministry's plans to address the issue.

GRi../

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Accra (Greater Accra) 24 Nov. '99

The poor state of the roads and its effects on the socio-economic status of its people caught the attention of Members of Parliament on Tuesday.

Members, led by Dr Kwabena Adjei, Leader of the House, requested that a comprehensive national road plan be submitted by the sector minister to the House for debate.

The concerns emanated from a statement to the House on the poor state of roads in the Ahafo Ano South constituency by Mr Kwaku Balado Manu, MP for the area.

Mr Balado Manu said in spite of the huge store of resources in the area and the hard working nature of its people, "it is reeling in abject poverty.

" The reason behind this poverty is that most of the foodstuffs produced do not reach the urban markets because of the poor state of the roads in the Ahafo Ano District."

He said while the urban dweller spends the biggest chunk of his income on food due to scarcity, foodstuffs go rotten on farms for want of good roads to transport them to the marketing centres.

The MP said the few lucky farmers who get their produce bought are often at the mercy of market queens, who take advantage of their desperation and buy foodstuffs at ridiculously low prices.

"At the end of the day, farmers are not able to break even and therefore get demoralised. This state of affairs kills farmers' interest and have the potential of encouraging rural-urban migration."

Balado Manu mentioned the Mankranso-Wioso-Tepa-Yamfo-Tanoso road, which he said, "holds the key to prosperity in the area, as the most deplorable of them" .

Mr Annor Baffour, NDC-Ahafo Ano North, said the state of the roads in the area "may even get worse now that the Cocobod, which used to maintain them, is on divestiture.

He, therefore, appealed to the sector minister to take a critical look at the road network in the area.

Mr Joe Donkor, NPP-Tano North, said the plush and well-built Kumasi-Sunyani highway that passes through the Ahafo Ano does not reflect the state of roads in the area.

He said villages need to be connected by feeder roads and the policy of tarred roads connecting district capitals should be pursued in those communities.

Mr Donkor suggested that the Tepa-Yamfo-Sunyani road be tarred to offer a shorter alternative route from Kumasi to the Brong Ahafo capital.

In a second statement, Mr Sampson Ottu Darko, NPP-Ga North, brought to the fore, the need to develop Abokobi, in the Ga District, into a tourist destination.

He said that since tourism has the potential of being the leading foreign exchange earner in the foreseeable future, research should be undertaken to unearth potential tourist destinations for attention.

He described Abokobi as a potential tourist destination since it has a lot of historical relics that could leave a lasting impression on its visitors.

Mr Francis Kwame Nyarko, NPP-Kade, described Abokobi as "the silent cradle of missionary work in the country".

He said its Christian way of nestling chiefs and its reputation as an area frees of chieftaincy dispute, makes it ideal for investment.

GRi./

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Accra (Greater Accra) 24 Nov '99

The Ministry of Works and Housing is very much concerned about Ghana's coastal erosion problems, Mr Isaac Kwadwo Adjei-Mensah, the sector minister said in Accra on Tuesday.

Mr Adjei-Mensah, answering questions in Parliament said his ministry's concern is not limited to the coast, but indeed along the entire length of the Bight of Benin of which the Ghanaian Coastline forms part.

The Minister's remark followed a question that stood in the name of Mr Kwakye Addo, NDC-Afram Plains South who asked whether the Ministry of Works and Housing will consider initiating technical studies on the nature and extent of sea erosion along the country's coastline, especially at Axim with the view to seeking funding for the construction of sea-defence-walls as appropriate in the badly affected areas before large stretches of coastal land is lost to the sea.

The Minister pointed out that as a matter of fact, his ministry acting through its Hydrological Services Department, has been monitoring the Ghanaian Coastline with special emphasis on areas of social and economic concerns, and providing appropriate solutions where required.

"This is a continuing exercise due to the highly unpredictable and dynamic nature of the Coastal environment".

Mr Adjei-Mensah admitted that Axim is one of the many areas that experience some erosion and beach landing problems, adding that about one kilometre length of the Axim beach experience some erosion, out of which 500 metres represent beach landing site.

He indicated that measures have been taken to construct gabion groyne field on the beach landing site, and an armour rock revetment on the remaining 500-metre stretch.

He said the groyne field has been completed while the armour rock revertment, will begin next year.

"Where the situation demands and the problem is beyond the capability of the country, efforts will be made to seek required assistance from elsewhere, including both bilateral and multilateral funding institutions."

GRi../

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