Jomoro farmers unhappy with delayed compensation

Farmers who had to give up their lands at Jomoro in the Western Region to make way for pipes that will convey gas from the Jubilee Field onshore have renewed their agitations for the compensation promised them.

The lands were taken as part of plans for the gas processing plant which has since been relocated to Atuabo in the Ellembelle district also in the Western region.

Indigenes including the farmers fiercely protested the relocation because they believed it would deprive them of the boom in commercial activity the project would have otherwise provided.

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Jomoro, Sylvester Nuomah-Dadie told Joy News the farmers' patience is wearing thin over the delayed compensation which they were promised would be facilitated to assuage the loss of the project.

He said the Volta River Authority (VRA) had assured him that compensation would be paid by May this year but that promise was not fulfilled.

Government has explained that the process of evaluating how much each affected farmer should be paid has accounted for the delay.

Communications Consultant at the Energy Ministry, Edward Bawa said the payment will begin by the end of this month.

Meanwhile government has indicated work on the gas plant at Atuabo is progressing steadily as scheduled and should hopefully be completed by next year.