Farmers under the umbrella project impacted in the Jomoro district, whose properties have been destroyed as a result of the proposed gas project in the district, have expressed dissatisfaction with the compensation package being paid us by the Ghana National Gas Company Limited (GNGCL) chaired by Dr. Sipa-Adjah Yankey.
According to the farmers, the compensation being paid to them is not commensurate with the real economic value of their properties lost. ?We also wish to state that the commencement of payment as compensation to the farmers by the Ghana National Gas Company Limited (GNGCL) is illegal, since there is an impending order from Sekondi High Court requiring us, the project impacted farmers to produce a site plan for a proper calculation of a fair compensation package due us.?
For them, their site plan is ready and currently in custody of a valuer, who is suppose to compute the right or proper compensation due each farmer. ?The site plan and the proper compensation package due each farmer are to be produce before the High Court on 20th July, 2012 for the court to endorse or decide.?
Teh farmers also indicated that the hasty decision by the Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) Limited to commence payment to the poor peasant farmers and land owners without any negotiation, collective agreement with them and also before the Sekondi High Court finally decides or adjudicate on the fair and proper compensation package due them, is a blatant indication of their intension to cheat the poor farmers, since already, almost all the farmers who have received their compensation has began complaining of the meagre amount paid them.
?Most of the farmers complained bitterly that the amount of money being paid them does not correspond to their properties lost. Also the contradictory figures given to the media by the Ghana National Gas Company Limited (GNGCL) on the total compensation amount to be paid the farmers indicates that they have an ulterior motive, that is, in the daily graphic news paper it was reported that the total compensation package due the farmers was GHC 57,631 whiles in the daily guide news paper, the total amount due the farmers was pegged at GHC 70, 000,? they said.
They also stated that, the action of GNGC Limited to commence payment to the farmers before the High Court finally decides on the right or fair compensation due each farmer is clearly ?tantamount to subjudication.?
?It is therefore in view of the above that we want Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) to halt its payment, until the right compensation package due each farmer is settled on by the court or until they reach a consensus or collective agreement with us through negotiation, so that we the farmers can get value for our property.?
They averred that Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) Limited and its cohorts GNPC/VRA need to treat the farmers with all the fairness and respect and stop destroying their properties unlawfully until the right compensation package due us is paid.
?As article 20 clause 2(a) of the 1992 constitution of Ghana stipulates ?compulsory acquisition of property by the state shall only be made under a law which makes provision for the prompt payment of fair and adequate compensation??. They should not think that because we are poor peasant farmers they could take advantage of us.?
?They need to treat us fairly as VRA treated the land owners between Kumasi and Asutifi. When VRA wanted to extend electricity to communities between these areas landowners of the land whom they intend trespassing on as a result of their project were paid off their compensation six clear months before they began destroying their properties. Why therefore do they want to treat us differently??
The Project Impacted farmers noted that because of the unlawful destruction of their properties without due diligence, some of their people are in coma as a result of shock. ?They should please stop endangering the lives of our people and do the right thing by paying us the right or proper compensation that is worth the value of our lost properties as a result of the proposed gas project,? they cautioned GNGC.
