Pay me Gh₵20m and take my land – Farmer tells Genser Energy

Cocoa farmer in the Ebetoda Camp in the Western North region, Ayishatu Bukari has advised Genser Energy Ghana Limited (‘GEGL’) to pay her Gh₵20m if they want her to give up her land.

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Reports reaching Happy98.9FM after it started its ‘Cocoa Series, The Inside Story’ indicate that Genser Energy Ghana Limited (‘GEGL’) which provides distributed power generation solutions in Ghana to multinational industrial and mining companies seeks to take lands of cocoa farmers in Wassa to expand their business.

It is claimed that the company has already started valuing lands of farmers in the area without consulting them, and this has caused tension amongst the farmers. “Some chiefs in the area have connived with the company and are stealing our lands for them,” Ayishatu Bukari stated.

Sharing her experience, she said, “I was not around when they came to my home. The company had already measured and valued my land and asked me to send my picture. So I acted upon the information I got only for the company to send me a document to thumbprint but I refused.”

The mother of 4 argues she had to toil to buy her 8 acre land and is not ready to part with it without earning a substantial amount. “I bought the land for Gh₵5,000 and if they want it, they should be ready to pay me Gh₵20m,” she told Don Kwabena Prah on the Epa Hoa Daben political talk show.

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According to her, the blood and toil that has gone into the land is worth that much and “I will use the money to secure the future of my children and theirs.”

Ayishatu Bukari plans to invest the Gh₵20m into real estate. “I will invest into real estate and give out some of the buildings for rent so my family can benefit for generations. I will also start a trade with part of the money,” she emphasized.