Worakese Chiefs: Gov't paid us GHc27 million for lands acquired

Nana Owusu Akyaw Prempeh II, Chief of Worakese near Kumasi on Monday told the Judgment Debt Commissioner that the traditional area received GH?27 million for lands acquired by government and not the over GH?49 million stated by the court.

This, he said, came about after the traditional chiefs had reached an agreement with the government for the amount to be paid.

Appearing before the sole Judgment Debt Commissioner in Accra, Nana Owusu Akyaw Prempeh said, the GH?27 million was payment for 107 acres of lands acquired by the colonial government in 1943 for a hospital to be constructed but that could not done.

He said the state after shifting the project to another site, decided to give the land to the State Housing Company (SHC) instead of returning them to the traditional rulers.

He said the SHC later gave portions of the land to the Ghana Police Service for the construction of barracks while the rest were used to construct houses for sale to the public.

He said that development infuriated the traditional rulers since no compensation was paid to them at the time, which explained why they took the matter to court in the 1990s.

The court’s action, he said, resulted in the payment of the GH?27 million to the Stool.

Representatives from the Consar Limited, Micheletti Company Limited and the Ministry of Lands and Forestry are scheduled to appear at the next sitting.

In addition, representatives from the SHC, Lands Commission as well as the Lands Valuation Division would also appear before the Commissioner.

Mr George William Dove, Public Relations Officer of the Commissioner, appealed to those who would want to volunteer information or testify, to report to the Commissioner’s office.

He urged those who would not want to appear before the Commissioner, to submit memoranda to the Commissioner as such memoranda would be treated confidentially.

Sitting resumes on Tuesday May 21 at the Old Parliament, Accra.