Penteng (Ash), March 23, GNA - Residents of Penteng in the Afigya-Sekyere District have said they would not abandon farming in the Penteng forest reserve unless the government paid promptly compensation due them after their large hectares of farm lands had been taken from them.

The compensation, they claimed, formed part of an agreement they had with government when they were directed to abandon farming activities some 30 years ago to enhance the sustainability of the forest reserve which falls within the Barekese Dam catchments area. The residents said this at a meeting with officials of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) at Penteng near Agona on Thursday. The meeting was organised by the GWCL to sensitise the residents to desist from farming in the forest reserve and formed part of programmes by the GWCL to commemorate the World Water Day. Nana Kofi Atta, Krontihene of Penteng, took a swipe at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Land Valuation Board, Lands Commission and GWCL for their blatant refusal to facilitate the payment of the compensation.

This, he said, was quite unfortunate and a breach of trust on the part of government.

"In the event of the compensation not being paid, residents would have no other option than to go back to their lands in the forest reserve and farm so as to make ends meet".

Nana Atta accused government of being evasive about the payment of the compensation, saying, "On so many occasions we have demanded our money but to no avail even though we had long submitted all relevant documents and claims to the appropriate quarters". He said other communities within the dam's catchments area whose farmlands were taken from them had long been duly compensated, "Yet that of Penteng still remains in a mystery".

Mr Robert Obeng Boateng, Ashanti Regional Chief Manager of the GWCL, said the delay was as a result of inaccuracies in the documentations and that the Land Valuation Board is trying to resolve it.

He appealed to the residents to exercise restraint whiles measures were stepped up to have their compensation paid to them. "You should endeavour to henceforth put a stop to all farming activities in the forest for the sustainability of the forest reserve and maintenance of the Barekese Dam", he said.

Mr Boateng, who conducted newsmen round some of the encroached areas of the forest reserve, called for drastic measures to be taken to deter recalcitrant residents from carrying out farming activities in the reserve. 23 March 07