A Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio, has condemned encroachment activities on a government-owned land at Mpehuasem, a suburb of Accra, saying the misunderstanding at on lands was unnecessary.
He has therefore declared government’s determination to reclaim the acres of land encroached upon.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, Mr Owusu-Bio said government is concerned with the encroachment on state lands, and had embarked on mission to avert the illegality.
He defended the demolition of some walls and temporary structures on a parcel of land at Mpehuasem, stressing that “the Ministry’s contractor had the legitimacy to protect the said lands from encroachment”.
“In recent times, there have been disturbances at Mpehuasem relating to government’s attempt to recover state lands which have been encroached upon by unauthorised persons. It must be stated that the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), section 236 frowns on encroachment on state lands and criminalises such acts. The Lands Commission, as the managers of public/state lands, under the 1992 constitution, section 258 is performing its statutory functions to recover the encroached state lands,” he noted.
Protective measures
He further disclosed that government was aware of the activities of encroachers, and had established a Public Lands Protection Team to regularly survey and monitor public lands to ensure that they were free from encroachment.
“The team is composed of a representative of the Lands Ministry; a representative of Lands Commission; a representative of National Security; two representatives from Ghana Police Service, one of whom should be from the Property Fraud Unit; a representative of Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority; a representative from the Attorney General’s Department; a representative from AYNOK Holdings and a representative of the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council,” he mentioned.
The executive secretary of Lands Commission, Ebenzer Kobina Dadson, clarified all doubts and mischief surrounding the public-owned land at Mpehuasem, following a clash between students of Ideal College and some men suspected to be contractors protecting the said land.
Mr Kobina Dadson said the land in question is a public land which had been encroached upon by Ideal College and other entities.
“The Commission has in various ways informed the encroachers, which include Ideal College, and the University Professional Studies, Accra, as well as other religious institutions on its plans to regularise the “illegal” structures where possible and to reclaim others,” he noted.
Clarification
Touching on the specific case of the Ideal College, Mr Dadson disclosed that since 2018, the Commission had taken steps to engage the school on the need to regularise its operational sites within the enclave.
“The owner of Ideal College is laying claim to some 20 plots of land, some of which he has sold to third parties on the blind side of the Commission. Dealing with the demolishing exercises, I say that the Commission through its contractor acted within the confines of the law as notices were served prior to the exercise,” he insisted.
He, however, stressed the need for the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to take firm steps towards retrieving all state lands which had been encroached on by individuals, organisations and institutions.
“The Commission has given several notices, since 2010, to persons engaged in these encroachments, including Ideal College, the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) hostel and several churches, the last being a press release on April 16, 2022 and Public Notice of demolition posted within the area in April, 2022.
“By letter, dated 12th April, 2022, the Ghana Police Service has been engaged to provide security to the Commission’s contractor in protecting the land. The same letter was copied to the Greater Accra Regional Police Command, the East Legon Police Command and the Legon Police Command,” he explained.
He said the Commission would use the law and join forces with the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council to protect the land from encroachment.
“The Commission is acting under Section 236 of the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036) to recover these lands. This impunity of occupation of State lands must be mitigated. The Lands Commission released a press statement on April 21, 2022 debunking the claim of ownership by the Mpehuasem Mantse, Nii Torgbor Obodai Ampao VI, on April 16, 2022,” he concluded.