�Akpeteshie Doesn�t Certify Land Ownership� Chiefs To Ghana Gas

The chiefs and people of Atuabo and Anorchie communities in the Ellembelle district of the Western Region says the Akpeteshie (schnapps of local drink) they presented to Ghana Gas during the acquisition of the land on which the Gas infrastructure is situated cannot serve as a guarantee of their ownership of the land. They are demanding immediate legalization of their ownership through the �right processes�. In an interview with Citi News in Takoradi, the Tufuhene of Anorchie, Mr. Robert Mensah said the right processes were not followed from the beginning because �We were happy such a project was coming to our land. We knew Dr. Sipa Yankey and most especially the Energy Minister, Amah Kofi Buah, were coming from the Nzema Land. �We gave them that respect. We told them they should finish with the first phase of the project then come to sit down with us for the due processes to begin, but now the project is at the completion stage and nobody seems to care. The akpeteshie they gave to us cannot guarantee their ownership of the land.� He said several attempts to get management of Ghana Gas to get back to the discussion table to address the matter have proven futile. According to him, when the paramount Chief of East Nzema Traditional area, Awulae Amihere Kpanyinle III tried to remind them of the processes, �they made him appear to the outside world as stalling the project� Currently, the Sekondi High Court has placed a two-week injunction filed by Awulae Kpanyinle III, on the gas project. At a press conference, the family members of Anorchie said they are in support of this and called for immediate response by Ghana Gas to their quest. Other issues that came up from the press conference include the ill-treatment given to the chiefs and people of the two communities by management of the gas project, the non-release of compensation for some farmers including the Tufuhene and the Awuale Kpanyinle whose coconut trees were cut down after two years. Even those who were paid were not given any documentary evidence. This, the Tufuhene thinks is unrepresentative.