Jomoro Farmers Angry Over Compensation
Their beef is that the government had failed to pay them their due compensations but had rather dispatched surveyors to the area to start demarcation on their lands without their knowledge.
The Domunli enclave was originally earmarked to host the gas processing plant for converting natural gas from the Jubilee Field to dry gas for power generation and to boost the petro-chemical industry.
However, the Ghana Gas Company, after further studies decided to relocate the plant to Atuabo in the Ellembelle District.
The affected farmers are not against the Domunli Project and its component at Atuabo in the Ellembelle District which would be fed by natural gas from the Jubilee Oil Field and help increase national energy production by 5,000 Mega Watts.
They, however noted, that they would do all within their power to ensure that the Volta River Authority (VRA) allegedly constructing the project, stayed away from their lands until they were paid proper compensations.
These came to light when some of the farmers stormed the offices of DAILY GUIDE to put their grievances across.
The spokesperson for the farmers, Raymond Kronzu noted that the government claimed that about 95 percent of the affected farmers had received compensations.
“Government also claimed that farmers whose farms were affected during the demarcation of the land for the project has also been paid.”
He, however, expressed disgust about the payment exercise alleging that the proper thing was not done.
According to him, officials of the VRA did not meet them to agree on the amount to be given to them.
'Because there was no meeting to agree on the compensations, the affected farmers were just given any amount. For instance, a farmer having about 35 poles of coconut trees destroyed, was supposed to be paid about GH¢3,600.00 but was given GH¢600.00,' he alleged.
He continued, 'We the farmers have therefore asked the contractor undertaking the clearing of the farmlands for the project to stop for non-payment of proper compensation by the government.'
The farmers mentioned Emmanuel Martey who works with the VRA in Accra as the one who initiated the compensation programme which most of the famers were not happy with it.
When DAILY GUIDE contacted the said Emmanuel Martey, he denied the farmers' allegations and stressed that, substantially, many of the affected farmers had been paid fair sums.
Meanwhile, information DAILY GIUIDE gathered indicated that work had resumed on land clearing for the establishment of a component of the Domunli Gas Processing Project at Domunlizo in the Jomoro District.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi