The construction of the solid waste treatment plant in the Upper East region by waste management company, Zoomlion would be halted if the various stakeholders do not step in to stop the seeming tension building up in the community between the “landowners” and the Zommlion company.
The Kumblingo-Sherigu community of the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East has vowed not to allow the company or its associates carry out the construction of the facility on the 80 hectare land owned by them.
The community, through their traditional land owner,Tindana Atogtanga, is accusing the company of not properly consulting the real land owners and seeking their consent before moving onto the land to carry out their operations.
The Tindana in a letter addressed to the Bolgatanga Municipal Acting Chief Executive, Joseph Amiyure Atura which has been intercepted by Word Fm, the Tindana said the construction of the facility on the land will dispose them of their farm lands and their source of livelihood .
“save the people of my community and myself from being dispossessed of our farmlands and livelihoods”
Tindana Atogtanga in his petition, said members of the community are mostly farmers who depend on their farmlands for survival. He therefore averts that if the company is allowed to construct the plant on the land, it will deny them their source of livelihood and deepen the poverty and deprivation in the community.
“We, the affected land owners whose main occupation is farming are deeply worried that the invasion of Zoomlion Company on our lands is going to deny us our source of livelihood and deepen extreme poverty and deprivation in the community and women and children are undoubtedly going to be the hardest hit.”
Zoomlion company limited has also been accused of destroying the shrine of the community which serves as its spiritual home.
“It is again very disturbing to note that Zoomlion has caused serious irreparable damage to the spiritual well-being of the community as the home of our only shrine by name Atogtanga was destroyed. The destruction of the Shrine in this form and manner to pave way for a private company’s business is spiritually disastrous and will spell doom for the community now and in the foreseeable future.”
When The public relations officer of Zoomlion of the Upper East region ,Mr. John Sackey was contacted on telephone, he said he has heard of the petition by the Tindana to the MCE but he is yet to abreast himself with its content. He however will not confirm to a reporter with Word Fm if the company paid compensation for the land except to insist that the reporter speak to the MCE. Mr. John Sackey could not also confirm or deny if the company was stopped from working on Tuesday, 11th may , 2021.
The Tinadana, Tindana Atogtanga confirmed the authenticity of the letter.He said the company only consulted the chief of the area who unilaterally gave them the land without consulting and seeking the consent of the real land owners.
He accused some elements posing as authorized agents of the chief of Sheringu of secretly arranging with the Zoomlion company to acquire the land for their selfish interest.
“It is our suspicion that the principal architects and designers of all these opaque arrangements with the Zoomlion Company are few funny characters and self-seeking individuals posing as authorized agents of our highly respected chief of the Sheringu traditional area”
When asked if they will allow the company to proceed with the construction of the plant if the company takes steps to seek for their consent to use the land, the “the boys went and stopped them from working yesterday”. He reiterated their stand not to release the land to the company on any condition.
By Simon Agana/mywordfmonline.com
Below is the petition by Tindana Atogtanga to the MCE.
Tindana House
House No.
Sherigu Kumblimgo
Bolgatanga
8th May, 2021
The Municipal Chief Executive
Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly
Bolgatanga
Dear Sir,
PETITION ON DISPOSSESSION AND DISPLACEMENT OF PEOPLE OF SHERIGU KUMBLIMGO COMMUNITY OF THEIR FARMLANDS AND LIVELIHOODS
I wish to present this petition to you as a traditional leader (Tindana) of the Sherigu Kumblimgo community in the Bolgatanga Municipality to, as a matter of urgency, intervene to save the people of my community and myself from being dispossessed of our farmlands and livelihoods as these lands estimated to be about 80 acres have been given out to a private company, Zoomlion Ltd for private business without proper consultation and consent of the real land owners.
“We, the affected land owners whose main occupation is farming are deeply worried that the invasion of Zoomlion Company on our lands is going to deny us our source of livelihood and deepen extreme poverty and deprivation in the community and women and children are undoubtedly going to be the hardest hit.”
It is again very disturbing to note that Zoomlion has caused serious irreparable damage to the spiritual well-being of the community as the home of our only shrine by name Atogtanga was destroyed. The destruction of the Shrine in this form and manner to pave way for a private company’s business is spiritually disastrous and will spell doom for the community now and in the foreseeable future.
I wish to state that from unconfirmed sources, it is strongly alleged that our lands have been sold to Zoomlion Company for over Eight Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (Ghc800,000.00).
You are probably aware that this information is widely speculated and circulated in the community and beyond. It is our suspicion that the principal architects and designers of all these opaque arrangements with the Zoomlion Company are few funny characters and self-seeking individuals posing as authorized agents of our highly respected chief of the Sheringu traditional area and it is high time these individuals are named and shamed not only to reduce the corrupt blood content in their bodies but to save the entire community from being sold out to private companies one night.
It must be stated that Bolgatanga and its environs have so far experienced enough pockets of violent conflicts arising from chieftaincy and land disputes and we, as peace-loving people, would therefore certainly not want to add on to it.
It is in the light of the above that we are demanding that Zoomlion Company should immediately stop its activities and pack out of our lands for us to do our farming activities for our livelihoods
As a community member yourself and father of the municipality, we do not have any reason to doubt your leadership capacity to act swiftly to ensure the situation does not get out of control.
Thank you
Yours sincerely,
Tindana Atogtanga
(Sherigu Kumblimgo Tindana)
0547365292
CC:
- The Hon Regional Minister-UER
- The Hon MP of Bolga Central Constituency
- The Chief of Sherigu Traditional Area
- The Hon Assembly member of Sherigu
- The Manager of Zoomlion Company
The President of Northern Patriots in Research and Advocacy (NORPRA