Compensation paid to all 'Akosombo Dam' families - Sole Commissioner
The Sole Commissioner of the Judgement Debt Commission, Mr Justice Yaw Apau, has emphasised that the state has paid crop compensation to all the families whose lands were inundated following the construction of the Akosombo Dam in 1965.
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He said per the records of the Volta River Authority (VRA) available to the commission, all the affected communities were paid compensation for the loss of their crops.
He made the statement yesterday when some representatives of the beneficiary communities suggested that they had not received any crop compensation from the state for the loss of their crops resulting from the construction of the dam.
Mr Justice Apau said according to the VRA records, the state had paid land compensation to majority of the affected people.
He said per the VRA records, there were a few affected families who had not been given land compensation.
Background
The lands around the Volta River were flooded following the construction of the Akosombo Dam in 1965 and the communities who were affected were resettled by the state.
However, some clans in Pai, Apaaso, Makango, Ahmandi and Krachi traditional areas who were resettled after the submersion of their houses and farmlands went back to the government 50 years later to ask for compensation.
Consequently, Cabinet gave the approval on July 23, 2008 for a consolidated compensation totalling GH¢138 million for various stools and families in Pai, Apaaso, Makango, Ahmandi and Krachi traditional areas.
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Resettlement
At yesterday’s sitting, some of the representatives of the beneficiary clans confirmed to the commission that they were indeed resettled after their lands had been submerged during the construction of the dam.
But they claimed that the lands given to them were far less compared to their original settlements.
They again told the commission that they received some compensation from government beginning from 2009.
The Paramount Chief of Adjade Traditional Area in the Brong Ahafo Region, Nana Kwabena Akuamoah, told the commission that he collected GH¢3,518,184.46 on behalf of his people.
The Chief of Banda Bonwesi, Nana Omani Kuminte, said he took GH¢34,573.44 on behalf of his people, while Mr Ismael Wilson, who represented the people of Beposo, said he collected GH¢621,821.13 for his people.
Use of compensation
All the representatives told the commission that they had used part of the money to put up palaces for their chiefs.
Some of them said they used part of the money to renovate houses and build places of convenience.
Other case
The Managing Director of African Automobile Limited (AAL), Mr Mohammed Hijazi, tendered in certified copies of the annual accounts of the company from November 31, 2010 to November 31, 2011 to the commission yesterday.
Mr Hijazi had already appeared before the commission to answer questions in relation to the payment of GH¢8 million compensation to AAL in 2010.
Some ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) were said to have defaulted in paying AAL for the supply of vehicle parts in 1994.