Cape-Mount Citizens Bark At SDI Some citizens of Grand Cape Mount County have begun expressing their disappointment and frustration over what they described as negative propaganda against concessions in their areas by some non-governmental organization as, instead of guiding them to maximize the benefits from those contracts. In a statement they said: "We are planning to take action, beginning with an engagement with the government officials-telling them that one NGO is coming here and carrying false and bad news. They are giving the World bad news about the community and Sime Darby. It is not right! Whenever you need information, please go to the community involve and acquire the fact," Mr. Boakai Kromah, Chairman, Zodua Land Committee told a team of journalist last week in the county. In Gbai, one of the areas which Sime Darby has constructed an estate for their workers, said they were not happy with the work of SDI and wanted them to seek more information from them before publishing their reports. Their statements come in the wake of a recent report published by the Sustainable Development Institute (SDI) and Friends of the Earth that companies operating in the county were taking away farm land without competition. Last month, the people of Zodua, Grand Cape Mount County signed an agreement with Sime Darby to clear five thousand hectors of farm land. Since this, the community and Sime Darby have been working to ensure the execution of the next phase which has to do with compensation. One of the community leaders, Mr. Kromah said, "By next month, we will begin to take action against these false NGOs, because act by them will leave our areas underdeveloped." He said that they were not against NGOS working with them in a constructive way, but would not accept some of these NGOS publishing false report to their international partners only to secure funding. "In 1973, our people were able to make payment for portion of the land we have. We have over 100,000 hectares of land, but we were only able to pay for 25,000 hectares of land to be surveyed. So, a portion of the 25,000 hectares was given to Sime Darby. We still have more land to farm, hunt and reside," he added Mr. Kromah said if SDI and other NGOS are serious to work in the interest of the locals, they would be ahead with development by now, but "they only publish false report to get money."
Posted on: Mon, 22 Jul 2013 16:04:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015