The notion at the Judgment Debt Commission pointing to the fact that one Nana Asetena Mensah never came forward in respect of compensation claims over the submerged lands leading to the construction of the Akosombo Dam has been found to be wrong.
The commission of enquiry has made it clear that Nana Asetena Mensah never came forward to make any claims; rather, he delegated the Krachiwura, who he said had no stake in the lands, to lead the chase for the compensation
This claim was refuted by the Krachiwura, Nana Mprah Besemuna III, who said Nana Asetena Mensah, was his elder brother who played a vital role in the Volta Basin compensation claims following the construction of the Akosombo Hydro Electric Dam.
Nana Mprah Besemusa who is also the president of the Krachi Traditional Counsel protested vehemently over the said notion that the processes that led to the collection of huge sums of money from the government were wrong.
Cabinet, in July 2008, approved a consolidated amount of compensation totalling GH�138 million for various stools/families at Pai, Apaaso, Makango, Ahmandi and Kete Krachi Traditional Areas.
Records at the commission chaired by the Sole Commissioner Justice Yaw Apau revealed that GH�71 million has been paid so far to the various claimants and the disbursement of the remaining GH�67 million has been put on hold to enable the government deal with discrepancies in the payments.
Krachiwura�s Testimony
Testifying at the Commission on Monday, Nana Besemuna III said he had the authority of the Kantankofore family as the paramount chief of the Krachi Traditional Area, led by Nana Asetena Mensah (deceased) to put in claims.
According to him, Nana Asentena who was once a Member of Parliament of the area, during K.A Busia�s administration made a pledge to the people that he will lead the chase to claim compensations for them prior to being elected to parliament.
The Krachiwura told the commission that he collected a total of GH�1,441,352.20 in five tranches for Kantankofore and that the acreage of the amount he took was reduced to about 27,000 acres from 37,000 due to the processes they had earlier filed to government.
In his testimonies at the commission, he said the claims for compensation for families in the Volta Basin flooded areas was spearheaded by Nana Asetena Mensah between 1974/75 and in the process commissioned a survey of the whole submerged area, which the Lands Department in 1978 acknowledged for compensation for 952,900.20 acres that was being claimed by all the families.
He also told the commission that one Nana Ofosu Yiadom from the Pai Traditional Area also mobilised his people to claim compensation and used Kwadwo Abban & Co as the consultants and surveyors. And they merged and agreed on a common term for the work.
The Krachiwura admitted that the acreages of claimants overlapped and that �It was difficult getting governments upon governments to accept the fact that our people deserved compensation and when one government finally decided to pay compensation we were adjusting lands so that there will be peace in the area.�
He told the commission that the issue regarding the Volta River Reimbursable Fund is pending in court.
Pai Katanga
Nana Diawuo Bediako II, also known as Stephen Attah Kwasi Akowuah, the Paramount Chief of Pai Kantanga, , told the commission that the issue regarding the Pai Development Fund he set up for developmental work for his people is pending in court.
According to him, all subsequent payments were lodged in court due to the litigation, saying, �what has been paid before the court is around GH�1, 266,494.65,� after receiving the first tranche of GH�63,159.
All witnesses appearing before have been tendering in evidence site plans that did not have dates but had purportedly been used to claim the money from the Lands Commission
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