Chiefs repeat demand for share of GREL royalties.

Agona-Nkwanta (W/R), Dec. 24, GNA- Eight Paramount Chiefs in the Western Region on Saturday repeated their demand for a fair share of royalties paid by the Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL) to the Government.

They noted with concern that a petition to the Government on the issue in 2003 that also included their demand for a five per cent share in the company as well as appointing one of them to serve on the Board of the GREL had not received any response.

Awulae Agyefi Kwame, Omanhene of Nsein Traditional Area and Chairman of the Association of Chiefs on whose Lands GREL Operates (ACLANGO) said these at this year's annual general meeting of the association at Agona-Nkwanta in the Ahanta West district. In spite of the Government's promise to meet these demands, nothing had been done so far, Awulae Kwame said, adding, "We are reminding President Kufuor to do something for Nananom before leaving office". He claimed that GREL divesture in 1996 was done without the knowledge and involvement of any of them and 83 other divisional chiefs on whose lands the company owes large tracks of rubber plantations. Awulae Kwame said the chiefs would continue to give their support to GREL to enhance its operation for their mutual benefit and commended the company for working hard to meet its social responsibilities to the people.

Apart from the provision of a number of projects to some communities, GREL had been organising vacation classes for students and providing scholarships to selected children from the eight traditional areas since 2004. The company had provided a permanent secretariat for the Association at Agona-Nkwanta.

Awulae Kwame appealed to GREL to sponsor a workshop to discuss the Chieftaincy bill to enable them to better understand it and also for the enable chiefs in the region to make inputs into the bill. Mr Marc Genot, Managing Director of GREL, said the company would continue providing facilities to enhance the education of children and also sponsor hard working students to tertiary level. He said the out-grower scheme adopted by GREL had brought sustainable income to many people in the area leading to the reduction in poverty.

He appealed to the chiefs and other landowners to release lands to interested farmers wishing to go into rubber production to feed the company. Mr Genot stressed the need for coexistence and said peaceful methods should be adopted for the amicable settlement of any misunderstanding that may crop up between the company and the chiefs and that GREL was ready to cooperate in this respect. Mr Kojo Kum, a Takoradi-based lawyer explained some of the provisions under the Domestic Violence Act, Act 372 of 2007 and said Chiefs have no capacity or jurisdiction to settle defilement cases.