¢13.5bn allocated to National Reconciliation Victim

National Reconciliation Commission's logo

Victims of human rights abuses who have been listed by the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) as deserving compensation will begin receiving various sums by the third week of next month.

In addition, confiscated properties whose rightful owners have been identified will be deconfiscated.

The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Mr Joe Ghartey, told the Daily Graphic in Accra Yesterday that in all, ¢13.5 billion allocated for that purpose in this year's supplementary budget would be accessed and disbursed.

The compensation, according to a government White Paper on the NRC's recommendations ranges from ¢2 million to ¢30 million per a person, depending on the extent of abuse or violation.

A three-member team comprising Mr Ghartey, Mr Justice V.C.R.A.C Crabbe and the deputy Attorney General, Mr E. Osei Prempeh, is presently working out the modalities for disbursement.

The Attorney-General said the team was considering how to send the money to the individuals without the victims incurring travelling expenses, citing the banks, the district assemblies and post offices as appropriate means.

The issue of compensation was mentioned during the presentation of the Review of Economic Performance based on the Budget Statement and Economic Policy and a Supplementary Estimate of the Government of Ghana for the Financial Year to Parliament by Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, the Minister for Finance and Economic Planning on Thursday, July 13, 2006 in which ¢27.4 billion was allocated to the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General.

During his turn at the meet-the Press series last April, the then Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Mr J. Ayikoi Otoo, said the government had issued White Paper recommendations of the NRC which among other things asked for a reparation/rehabilitation fund for the victims.

He also stated that Cabinet had directed that all properties recommended for deconfiscation by the NRC should be released.

Mr Ghartey said it was unfortunate that implementation of the recommendation had delayed till now but explained that lack of funds and the issue of who actually owned some of the seized properties were a problem, since in certain cases, the real owners were dead and other people were claiming ownership which needed to be investigated.

When asked whether the amount to be disbursed was enough, he said “to say that the nation could pay back what some of these people lost would be an illusion, since no amount of money can replace what some of them went through.”

He said the reparation should rather be seen as a token from the government and the people of Ghana to fellow countrymen and women who went through hardship.

He expressed gratitude on behalf of the government to both the victims and perpetrators for appearing before the committee when they were invited.

“It was a healing process for both the Victims and the perpetrators, who had the opportunity to talk about their experiences,” he observed.

Mr Joe Ghartey said if even both black and White South Africans could accept to live together after apartheid, Ghanaians should not find it difficult to forgive one another and live as one people with a common destiny.

He took the opportunity to advise the people to always remember some of the terrible experiences which were narrated at the NRC and firmly decide never to repeat the mistakes of the past.

The NRC was set up by an Act of Parliament, Act 611, to hear, investigate and document cases of people who suffered injustices, violations and human rights abuses in the country's socio-political history from 1966 to January 7, 1993 but specifically involving the military eras of February 1972 to June 3, 1979; June 4, 1979 to September 1979 and December 31, 1981 to January 6, 1993, with a window of opportunity for those affected since independence.