A TOTAL of 352 people are claiming compensations for the land acquired by the government in 1975 for the proposed Olympic Stadium at Abeka, a suburb of Accra.

The claimants include individuals, members of stools, clans and families.

The controversial issue of ownership of the land prompted the NPP Member of Parliament for Okaikoi North, Mr Joseph Darko-Mensah, to raise the matter in Parliament yesterday.

He said successive governments from 1975 to 2000 did not pay any compensation for the aquisition of the land and this has created a problem between interest groups.

Mr Darko-Mensah mentioned some of the stools and families claiming ownership of the land as Nii Amar II, 2869.33 acres; Nii Amponsah Ankrah, 214,09 acres; The Onamrokor Adain Family, 755.65 acres; Sempe Stool, 2110.95 acres and Naamoko Company Limited 270.80 acres.

The MP said a casual look at the figures available clearly shows that a “superimposition of the stools and families’ claims on the land acquired for the Sports Complex will pose a serious conflict between the stools and families with the likely consequence of an imminent and protracted litigation between the 352 claimants.’’

The MP said apart from the areas given out by the past governments as leases for residential purposes and the area developed by the State Housing Company (SHC), a large tract of the remaining land has been developed by individual encroachers with the tacit acquiescence of past governments.

“In the event, most of the land originally acquired by the NRC Government has now been developed leaving only some portions of the Race Course area,” Mr Darko-Mensah said.

He said several residents living within the catchment area of the proposed Sports Complex are now seriously worried that government would lose theRace Course area because unknown and unidentified persons have started selling the Race Course area for private development.

“Mr Speaker, it seems that there is lack of supervision and protection of the land acquired by the Ga District Assembly, which is directly responsible to offer the requisite protection for the acquisition,” Mr Darko-Mensah said.

He said it was unfortunate that most developers who acquired their plots of land from private individuals, stools and families and have been given title deeds find it impossible to register their documents at the Lands Commission Secretariat as a result of the compulsory acquisition.

The MP noted that the government will continue to lose huge sums of revenue if the ban on the registration is not lifted and the Executive Instrument No. 61 repealed.

Mr Darko-Mensah said in spite of the confusion, the NDC government also acquired a new tract of land at Santeo, which is part of the Nungua Stool Lands, by an Executive Instrument No. 17 dated September 10, 1999 for the new Sports Complex, which is also being claimed by two parties.

“There is, therefore, in my view, no need for the present government to retain the 1975 acquisition,” he said.

He called for the repeal of the Executive Instrument No. 61 to ease the serious problems confronting his constituents.

The 352 claimants, he said, would also then be able to lay claim to their property without any government interference.

Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu (NPP-Old Tafo/Suame) and Deputy Majority Whip said the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of the tracts of land need to be unravelled.

He said he did not understand why the NDC government paid ?13 billion for feasibility studies alone on the Santeo lands when compensation had not been paid.

“Mr Speaker, the issue ought to be investigated thoroughly by this august House”, he said.

The Speaker, Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, after listening to the comments from both sides of the House, requested the committee on Lands and Forestry to investigate how the Abeka lands were acquired and to recommend to the House as to whether or not it should impress upon the Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines to revoke the Executive Instrument No.61.

He, however, did not give the Committee any deadline to submit its report.

In a statement to commemorate World Refugees Day, Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah (NPP-Shama), said while finding ways and means to solve the world’s refugee problem and give hope to those who are already refugees, Ghanaian refugees must be encouraged to return home and create conditions that will never make any Ghanaian a refugee.

This, she said, can be done by ensuring that the fundamental human rights of the people are respected and protected as enshrined in the Constitution.

During question time, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, told the House in an answer to a question by Mr H.F. Amoako, NDC member for Nkoranza, that the Ejura -Nkoranza- Jema Nkwanta roads will undergo routine maintenance/rehabilitation this year.

He said bids for contracts have been reviewed and recommendations for the award sent to the Regional Tender Board.