3 Shama royal families demand money from VRA
Three royal families in the Shama District in the Western Region have expressed concern over the failure of the Volta River Authority (VRA) to pay them compensation in respect of the 593.8-acre land acquired for the establishment of the Takoradi Thermal Power Station (TTPS).
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The Dwomo, Aboadze and Abuesi Aboradze families complained that out of more than GH¢4 million the VRA was supposed to pay, only a paltry GH¢500,000 had been paid so far, in spite of many appeals to the VRA.
Consequently, they have sent a strong signal to the VRA to ensure prompt settlement of its indebtedness to the chiefs, the elders and the entire citizenry of the area or face the wrath of the traditional authorities and their kinsmen.
Nana Kobina Attom III, the Chief of Aboadze; Nana Amakye II, the Chief of Abuesi, and Nana Kwamina Ekuntan II, the Chief of Dwomo, stated the common position when a team of VRA officials, led by Mr Kwasi Prempeh, a manager, presented two separate cheques to them at the Aboadze Chief’s residence last Wednesday.
The first cheque for GH¢24,105 covered the relocation of the river god of the people outside the TTPS which had been requested by the chiefs and elders, while the second cheque for GH¢200,000 was ‘‘payment of part of the cost of the land acquired for the project”.
The chiefs explained that the VRA first acquired 421.8 acres and later came in for an additional 172 acres.
They alleged that the authority had given part of the land to three companies without recourse to the chiefs and the elders.
Gratitude
After receiving the two cheques, the chiefs expressed appreciation to the VRA officials before pouring out their anger at the authority, saying, without mincing words, that the VRA management had shown gross disrespect to them for not honouring its promises to pay them at least half of the amount as the two parties had earlier agreed.
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‘‘We are not fools and children to be treated in this manner. Out of GH¢4 million you have paid only GH¢500,000, despite requesting you to pay at least GH¢1 million during our meetings in Accra. The money has now lost its value. What do you take us for”? Nana Attom fumed.
Ultimatum/royalties
The Aboadze Chief gave a month’s ultimatum to the VRA to remove all pillars it had erected to protect the 172 acres it took later, since it was not prepared to pay the money, adding that the land was a legacy for their great grandchildren.
‘‘The land is our gold, energy and everything and the money is what we will use to develop our respective areas for posterity to see. We want to do what is good for the communities. Be informed that the youth are always accusing us of having taken money from you but they don’t see any physical developments going on. It is not true that you fulfilled your part of the agreement,’’ he said.
He indicated that the VRA did not pay royalties, neither did it even show kind gestures.
‘‘You pay bonuses to your staff and enjoy all other benefits and so pay us our money for us to live in peace once you have decided to come and stay with us,’’ he added.
Employment/protection of river god
The chiefs again pointed out that all the employment opportunities at the plant had been offered to people from outside the Aboadze community and demanded to know from the officials how many of the local youth had been offered gainful jobs.
They said the usual claim by the authority that part of the money from the acquired land had been used to build a hospital, roads, toilets and other infrastructure was untenable.
The chiefs insisted that the request for the protection of the river god was not a hoax and threw a challenge to the authority to joke about the dire consequences if they declined to relocate it befittingly.
Mr Prempeh and the other officials, having patiently listened to the chiefs and the elders one after another, said they had come to discharge an obligation on behalf of the top management in Accra and so they would pass on the message to the VRA head office.