A Washington DC-based advocacy organization has sounded the alarm and is working with local traditional authorities in the North and South Tongue Districts of the Volta Region to raise awareness about land grabbing by several multinational corporations.
The Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) has mounted a campaign in the area to raise awareness among chiefs and the people to be weary of such multinationals who also engage in the business of buying large tracts of land sometimes for as little as six dollars per hectare per year for 99 years, and renewable for another 99 years.
These predatory land deals which are often done without full disclosure are resold at exorbitant market prices to other multinationals, depriving the affected communities of their main livelihoods.
Speaking in an interview with the Executive Director of the Africa Faith and Justice Network, Dr. Steven Nabieu Rogers in Accra, he said a few corrupt chiefs are aiding these multinationals engaged in the wanton sale of fertile lands.
He said the situation has led to a lot of family disputes accusing some officials of the Land Commission for aiding and abetting the commissioning of these crimes.
Citing Kanule, a small village in the Ho District of the Volta Region, Dr. Rogers said a Chinese distillery company has leased large tracts of lands surrounding a small settler community for the purpose of brewing alcohol.
According to the residents, they are unable to farm, fetch firewood or do any meaningful agricultural activity because the company has taken over all the lands depriving an entire community of resources.
The company is also accused by the community of polluting their main water source by dumping industrial and human waste through a recently constructed canal, leading to an outbreak of skin rashes and waterborne diseases among some community members.
Under its Just Governance – Land Grabbing Prevention and Awareness program in Ghana, the NGO is working with some of the chiefs and queen mothers in the affected communities to reverse the trend.
The Executive Director of AFJN cautioned Chiefs and other landowners to desist from selling lands to multinational companies without due diligence and the involvement of all stakeholders. He also advised them to employ the services of a qualified lawyer.
He said the danger of land grabbing by these multinationals are a real threat to Ghana’s food security and called on the government of Ghana and other agencies to ensure that these investments are done responsibly in a way that benefits the communities.