Govt will pay compensation at the right time

Akosombo, April 14, GNA-Mr Yaw Barimah, the Eastern Regional Minister, on Tuesday said government would at the right time pay compensation to all persons whose land or source of livelihood had been used for the creation of national asset.

He said: "Government recognises the need for people affected in a way or the other to be compensated for the losses they had suffered in the process of the national development agenda".

Mr Barimah said these in a reaction to a questioner who wanted to know when the government would pay compensation to people who lost properties during the construction of the Akosombo Dam, at the fourth Regional Peoples Assembly at Akosombo in the Asuogyaman District. According to the Minister, identifying the right persons for compensation had become difficult due to rivalry involving some claimants and that " government has to find time to go through the process carefully to ensure that the right persons receive the compensation."

Mr Yaw Barima, therefore, asked people seeking compensation to resolve their problems so that they could be compensated once and for all.

Answering questions on the 13-year-old Akwamu chieftaincy dispute, the Minister said though government did not take sides in chieftaincy matters, the Regional Co-ordinating Council would create a platform to facilitate efforts been made by the traditional authorities to settle the matter amicably.

He urged the chiefs of Akwamu to work faster to settle the dispute towards the development of the area.

The acting District Chief Executive (DCE) of Asuogyaman, Dr George Siaw said the assembly had undertaken a number of projects in the past five years to improve on the standard of living of the people. The Eastern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Adi Ankamah said the Peoples Assembly was not a forum for a particular party, but for all Ghanaians to air their grievances for the government to work towards those directions.

He advised the people not to agitate for particular persons to be made District Chief Executive and reminded them that it was the prerogative of the President.