The government has reportedly kick-started the process to acquire 20,000 acres of land for the development of a Petroleum Hub at Bonyere in the Jomoro District of the Western Region. According to a story we have carried at our business page today, government officials have already met with the chiefs and people in the area to explain to them the significance of the project.
Dr. Eric Yeboah, a Land Advisor at the office of the Senior Minister, told stakeholders that the government was ready to pay for anything that is of economic and social significance on the proposed land for the project, which first phase has been estimated to cost between $10-12 billion.
The hub would include a water treatment plant, waste treatment plant, manufacturing of spare parts, refinery, and tank farms amongst others. Dr. Eric Yeboah further told the stakeholders that the government would follow the agreed procedure with the stakeholders.
The Chronicle sees the entire project as the game changer for the Western Region, and that is why we are happy that the process has finally started. But, whilst commending the government for her efforts to develop the petroleum hub, we wish to also draw her attention to the procedure to adopt to pay compensation to the landowners.
Many families, especially those in the national capital, Accra, are living as destitutes because their forefathers sold family lands, either to the government or individuals, and misused the proceeds. The descendants of these poor families have nowhere to lay their heads, whilst educating their children has become a herculean task for them.
They wouldn’t have found themselves in this current mess if their forefathers had used the lands as equity, instead of outright sale for generations unborn to also benefit.
To avoid repeating some of these mistakes in the Western Region, The Chronicle suggests to the government to convince the families whose lands are going to be acquired for the Petroleum Hub project to use them as equity in whatever investment the state intends making. This way, the families will be getting regular income, which generations yet unborn would also enjoy.
This might be a strong statement, but it is a fact that some of the family heads do not know what is called investment. Their interest is to collect the money from the government and use it without thinking about their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
As a country, we need to stop this bad habit, because if our forefathers who fought and acquired the lands had exhibited the same attitude, the assets would not be there for us to enjoy today.
In our view, if the chiefs and people of Bonyere will not accept this suggestion of using the land as equity in the investment, the state must use her coercive powers to force them to accept the proposal.
As we earlier pointed out, we must be thinking about generations yet unborn, and not what we think will benefit us today. The state must certainly have a say in this. It is our hope that the people of Bonyere will also not throw the advice made by the government overboard in the interest of their grandchildren.
The post Editorial: Bonyere people must use land as equity in Petroleum Hub project appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS