[ 2014-08-29 ]

Nzema Chiefs Wade Into Lonrho Case
The Chiefs of Eastern Nzema Traditional Council,
in the Western region, yesterday waded into the
hearing of a motion at a sekondi high Court in
which five Minority Mps have sued the government
over the restriction on the Takoradi port
expansion.

The Nzema Chiefs who were not a party in the case
but were represented by a delegation, led by
Awulae Agamatu Agyan II, of the Gwira Traditional
Area, pleaded for an out-of-court settlement of
the case.

According to the chiefs, the fact that the case
was in court sent wrong signals to other investors
that the atmosphere at the Atuabo area was not
conducive for investment.

“So we are here to appeal to the applicants and
talk to them to allow us to settle the matter
amicably,” the chiefs appealed.

However, all the parties in the case—the
applicants, the state and the third party (Lonrho
Port)—opposed the appeal from the chiefs,

insisting that since the matter was a legal one,
it should be heard and settled by the court.

The plaintiffs assured that the motion was not to
stop the construction of the port as had been
perceived, but to seek the court's interpretation
on aspects of government's agreement with Lonrho
which imposed a restriction on the Takoradi Port
expansion.

Earlier, a State Attorney, Frances Molen Ansah,
prayed the court, presided over by Justice Kwabena
Ababio, to grant a short adjournment date to
enable her outfit file the state's application in
opposition to the motion.

She explained that, instead of serving the Sekondi
office of the Attorney General's Department, the
motion was served on the Accra office of the AG
and that it was only on Wednesday night that she
was informed about the case.

For this reason, she prayed the court for a short
adjournment date to enable her outfit study the
motion well and file an affidavit in opposition.

Counsel for the applicants, Alex Abban and Lonrho
Port, DK Letsa, did not oppose the appeal from the
State Attorney and the court accordingly adjourned
hearing to September 10, 2014.

Five NPP MPs sued the government over the
restriction of the expansion of the Takoradi Port
as indicated in Clause 7 of the agreement between
government and Lonrho Port, the British company
constructing a free port at Atuabo in the Western
Region.

The five MPs include Kwabena Okyere Darko, MP for
Takoradi constituency; Kwaku Kwarteng, MP for
Obuasi West; Joseph Cudjoe, MP for Effia
constituency, Mavis Hawa Koomson, MP for Ewutu
Senya and Kofi Brako, MP for Tema Central.

According to the MPs, they feared that the
approved agreement between the government and the
British firm for the development of an oil and gas
free port in the Western Region, might stall
progress at the Takoradi Port.

They argued that the agreement actually bars all
persons and companies from building any oil and
gas port facilities in the Western Region until
Lonrho had recovered its investment and made its
profit.

They have, therefore, insisted that the
restriction imposed on Takoradi Port is unlawful
and that the move offends Section 5 of the Ghana
Ports and Harbours Authority Act.

Meanwhile, speaking in an interview, the MP for
Takoradi, Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, indicated
that the applicants will visit the Nzema Chiefs on
Tuesday to explain to them why they sent the case
to court.

Source -

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