Akufo-Addo throws out petition against PHDC, sod-cutting ceremony to begin

A petition contesting the government and the Petroleum Hub Development Corporation's (PHDC) purchase of approximately 20,000 acres of land in Bonyere, in the Jomoro District of the Western Region, was denied by President Akufo-Addo.

The petition was filed by the Coalition of Concerned Nzema People, which includes advocacy groups like Nzema Koyele Eku and Nzema Advocacy for Peace and Development.

The petition expressed concerns about the large acres of land being acquired for the development of a petroleum hub, emphasizing that the acquisition would deprive the locals of their means of subsistence.

The group had requested that the 20,000 acres of land being acquired be reduced to 5000 acres in a petition that was signed by Elizabeth Allua Vaah, its convener.

However, the Presidency stated that the petition lacked supporting documentation for the assertions made in a letter signed by Nana Bediatuo Asante, the President's Executive Secretary and Ambassador.

The August 16 letter made it clear that all legal conditions, including stakeholder discussions, had been satisfied for the land acquisition.

It cited a 2021 High Court decision that cleared the way for the project and attested to the fact that the land is being purchased in compliance with the Land Act of 2020 and the Constitution.

“It is also noted that the 20,000 acres of land for the Petroleum Hub project is the subject of compulsory acquisition by the State in accordance with the Constitution and the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036). All processes for compulsory acquisition under the law have been complied with thus far, including extensive stakeholder consultations. It is, thus, palpably false to state that the land in question is being registered in the name of Awulae Annor Adjaye III.

“In light of the above, your petition is accordingly dismissed. The President of the Republic will undertake the sod-cutting, as scheduled, for the commencement of the Petroleum Hub Project for the benefit of the country,” the statement concluded.

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