Twifo-Praso (Central Region), 22nd July 99 --

The Stool Lands Administrator, Mrs Matilda Esi Fiadzegbe, has set up a committee to investigate a feud between the chief of Twifo Buaben Traditional Area and settler farmers which has come about as a result of a decision by the chief to release farm lands in the area to the Twifo Oil Palm Company (TOPP).

Mrs Fiadzegbe set up the committee when farmers in the area presented a resolution to her at a forum organised by the Stool Lands Administration at wifo-Praso on Tuesday.

In the petition addressed to the Minister of Food and Agriculture, 12 communities in Twifo Buaben appealed to the Minister to use his good offices to restrain the chief from releasing the land to TOPP.

The farmers said they have stayed in the area between 40 and 50 years and have undertaken various development projects including schools, road and houses stressing that their livelihood is attached to the land.

Mrs Fiadzegbe named representatives from the District Assembly, Lands Commission, Twifo Traditional Council, Office of the Administration of Stool Lands, Forestry Department and farmers to form the committee.

She said the report of the committee would be forwarded to the Minister and that her office would act on the report based on the instructions from Ministry of Lands and Forestry.

Nana Kofi Buabin the third, chief of Twifo Buaben, in a heated argument at the meeting, dismissed all the allegations by the farmers stressing that they have defaulted in the payment of rent to the stool for many years.

He cited instances where the farmers leased part of the land given them to other farmers without the consent of the chiefs.

Crops they agree to grow on the farms also turn out to be something else, he said adding that for many years, the land has not yielded the expected results.

Nana Buabin further intimated that the decision to hand over the land to the company is in the interest of the farmers since the TOPP will plant the palm trees and later hand them over to the farmers.

He said only one-fourth of the produce of the farm would be given to TOPP with three quarters for the farmers who will in turn sell the palm fruits adding that large tracts of land are lying idle because the farmers are not able to cultivate them.

GRi