GHACEM, MANYA KROBOS IN A LEGAL TUSSLE over limestone deposit

The story as captured in the November 1, 2014 edition of the Daily Graphic newspaper, pg 13

Ghacem Limited and the Manya Krobo Traditional Council (MKTC) have locked horns in a legal battle that threatens to further strain an already sour relationship between the two.

This follows the filing of a suit by Ghacem against the latter for what it describes as interference in its Popotia limestone concession covering an area of 93.16km2 (23, 021. 00 acres).

Nene Agbau Narh III, 1st Defendant & Ag. Prez. of the MKTC

The suit was filed at the Koforidua High Court against Nene Agbau Narh III, Divisional Chief of Djebiam, in his capacity as the acting President of the Traditional Council. Four others have also been sued including Mr. E. K. Sackitey, Coordinator of the Manya Krobo Customary Lands Secretariat; Mr. Annor Divine, Chairman of the Limestone Land Owners Association, Lawatt Quarries Company Limited, a local mining firm, as well as one Nene Okletey.

The plaintiff is seeking among others, an order of quia timet injunction to restrain the Traditional Council, Mr. Sackitey, Mr. Annor and Nene Okletey from interfering with their concession. It is also demanding a declaration that the mining activities of Lawatt Quarries, the fifth defendant, constitute trespass on its concession.

The current disagreement was sparked by meeting held on September 24, 2014 attended by representatives of Ghacem, the Traditional Council and other stakeholders including the Manya Krobo Customary Lands Secretariat, The Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly and youth groups. During the meeting, Nene Agbau Narh, then acting as the President of the Council ordered Ghacem to halt its operation in the Popotia application area as the various stakeholders still stood by their objection to the granting of that application.

Earlier, the council, in a letter dated September 17, 2014, conveyed to the Minerals Commission its decision ordering the plaintiff to cease operations in the Popotia application area until further notice.

The letter indicated, among others that Ghacem’s operation in those areas was illegal because all stakeholders including the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly, the Traditional Council, Customary Lands Secretariat, landowners and other concerned groups objected to the issuance of reconnaissance license to Ghacem by the Minerals Commission as indicated in a letter from the Municipal Assembly dated October 15, 2010.

When contacted, Nene Agbau Narh III, the first defendant preferred to remain silent until the determination of the case.

Dr. George Dawson Amoah, Head of Strategy and Corp. Affairs, Ghacem

Dr. George Dawson-Amoah, Strategy and Corporate Affairs Director of Ghacem confirmed initiating the legal action and said “that was because the defendants were putting impediments in our way”.

In a related development, a Youth and Advocacy group in the area, Kloma Gbi, has expressed shock at the decision by Ghacem to initiate a court action against the traditional rulers of the community within which it derives its raw materials.

Ign. Philip Tetteh Padi, Commissioner of  Kloma Gbi

Commissioner of the group, Ing. Philip Tetteh Padi, said “though it is Ghacem’s legal right to initiate any such action when aggrieved, it would have been prudent exploring other alternatives to solve the issue, taking cognizance of the likely effect of the action”.

He declined to comment on the substantive issue except to say that as youth of the area, they were prepared to stand by their Chiefs in a situation like this especially looking at their side of the argument.

It would be recalled that Ghacem has been mining limestone in the area for the past ten years following the commissioning of the quarry at Odugblase in 2004 by the Ex-President John Agyekum Kuffour.

 Published: Saturday November 1, 2014, pg 13, Daily Graphic

OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT ... about 2014 Ngmayem festival

The Prez. (middle) delivering his address during the 2012 Ngmayem festival durbar

Hi Mr. President,

I bring you warm felicitation from the home of quality & original beads and rich culture, Odumase-Krobo. It has become necessary that I check on you and make a few observations known to you as we the Krobos wrap up and start a new year this October.

The whole of this week, the town has been bubbling with rich cultural activities to mark the annual Ngmayem festival of the Chiefs and people of my Manya Krobo (my homeland).

We have a few more days and activities to go but tomorrow (Friday October 30, 2014) is the d-day for the grand durbar which will see lots of dignitaries in attendance.

I vividly remember that you graced the durbar in October 2012 but some of us were under the impression that you came that year because you needed us (our votes) even more than we needed you to add to the beauty of the durbar.

I was personally not convinced that you would have come that year looking at how tight you were on the day but you surprisingly came (though late) because it was an election year and your presence must be felt to pull you some more floating votes.

I still remember that you hurried through your schedule and your “equally important national assignments” (as is often the excuse) one of which was that year’s National Ed….. gathering/celebration in the capital city of Accra which ended around mid-day.

Ordinarily, our durbar ends just around mid-day or 1pm latest, but that year, we had to “WASTE” time in wait for you because you wanted to come at all cost. And true to your words (and promise to come) you drove at “top speed” from Accra and arrived at Odumase-Krobo within the blinking of an eye and hey, you, characteristic of you, wowed and sparked the crowd on your arrival. Whether or not your coming resulted in the massive votes you garnered in the presidential election is something I can’t really prove with figures, but I shudder to think that it did.

I also know that because it often rains on the durbar day every year, the practice has been to swerve the rain by closing the durbar early, say by noon. That year was an exception, we waited and waited for you, drummed and danced to while away time. We literally had to pause the main activities of the programme with a LOOOOOOONNNGGGG musical interlude from the Police band.

The Police band that gave us the long musical interlude

One of the chiefs being beaten by the rain

Before we could say jack, it started raining and you even had to deliver your speech under the cover of an umbrella. That was the first day I saw chief literally swimming in palanquins. We were heavily beaten by the rain on our return from the durbar and that was because we delayed.

Why would I conclude that you came in 2012 mainly to pick your badly needed vote? President Kuffour did same in 2008 (also an election year) and that was the last time I saw a sitting president at the durbar (at least in recent times) until you also came in 2012 (also an election year). I know you can’t be jumping from one festival to the other throughout the year, neither can you be at our Ngmayem durbar annually but when you time your coming to coincide only with an election year, then you push us into arriving at the conclusion that you come only when YOU NEED US and not really when we do

I am watching with rapt attention and in an attention position if you will prove me wrong.

Sources have told me you have been invited and you are coming godo godo; please do ok to clear that baseless perception of mine (only formed through observation)

I welcome you I advance

Mo heeeeeeee Mr. President !!!!

And it rained heavily

Traditional priests (in white) on their way from the durbar ground