A farmer at Kantinkyiren in the Atwima Kwanwoma District of the Ashanti Region has petitioned Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, to intervene in attempts by a landowner to deprive him (farmer) of his benefits and livelihood under the ‘Abunu’ share-cropping system.
Under the Abunu system, which is common in Ghana’s agricultural sector, the farmer is allowed to use the land in exchange for a share of the crops, where the landowner gets half of the produce while the farmer gets the other half.
Alexander Marfo, alias Boboo, complains that he and Nana Kwaku Duah, Head of Ekuona family of Kantinkyiren have engaged in hostilities over a parcel of land he cultivated cocoa on Abunu basis.
According to Boboo, he cultivated cocoa on the land for seven years and the proceeds were shared accordingly.
However, in the seventh year of the cultivation, Abusuapanin Kwaku Duah’s senior brother who had served as Abusuapanin previously set about 8 acres of the farm ablaze upon, which a report was made to the Trede Police and Fire Service at Bekwai.
The suspect was arrested and upon investigations charged to be prosecuted, but the Ekuona family opted for settlement, following which the land was shared equally by the Surveyor, Michael Antonio, with the gutted portion going to the landowner.
The Surveyor also issued a site plan covering 24.59 acres (9.95 hectares) in 2016 to the parties, after the demarcation and sharing, which excluded the landowner from ownership of the farmer’s portion and vice versa.
The aggrieved farmer explained that the shared land to the farmer then becomes the property of the chief of the community, who is bound to share with the farmer when it is due for the land to be demarcated into building plots.
He said if the landowner is not interested in sharing the land with the farmer, he (landowner or family) buys the cocoa plants from the farmer at the prevailing approved cocoa price.
Boboo claims Abusuapanin Kwaku Duah is now making adverse claims for recovery of possession of his portion of the shared land contrary to the provision of the Abunu system.
The landowner also claims the farmer has demarcated part of his share of 12 acre land into building plots with the intention of selling to prospective buyers, which allegation Boboo has flatly denied and counter accused the landowner of same intent.
The farmer contends that even though the Abusuapanin of Kantinkyiren Royal family, Nana Kofi Nti and the Nibihene, Otumfuo’s Caretaker of Kantinkyiren stool lands are mediating to ensure peace to prevail between the parties, he fears he might suffer injustice even as the landowner has clearly breached the dictates of a long-standing tradition of share-cropping practice and get exploited at the end, for the fact that he is a settler farmer and not a native of Kantinkyiren.
As a non-native of Kantinkyiren, Boboo is ready to cede the land in dispute if the landowner is prepared to value his cocoa farm and pay him at the current economic value of cocoa trees and adequate compensation in order to sustain his livelihood and that of his family and dependants.
Believing in Otumfuo Osei Tutu’s sense of judgment, natural justice and fairness, Boboo has petitioned the Ashanti Overlord to use his good offices to intervene and ensure justice and fair play.
Source: Thechroniclegh
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