
The Okyeman Land Protection Force has refuted claims by the Greater Accra Scrap Dealers Association that “the Ofori Panin Fie has Land Guards terrorising land owners around Teacher Mantey and its enclave”.
At a media briefing in Teacher Mantey, Okyeman Akwansrahene Baffour Asiedu Bekoe explained that the Okyeman Land Protection Force is a well-established taskforce mandated to protect all Stool lands in Okyeman against theft.
He indicated that all the relevant security agencies had been made aware of the existence of the taskforce and it mandate.
Baffour Asiedu Bekoe mentioned that Section 39 of the Criminal Offences Act, Act 29, empowers legal owners of properties to use reasonable force, either by themselves or by their agents, to protect their properties from theft.
“The Okyeman Stool lands were acquired through the toil and blood of their ancestors and by conquer hence, it would be suicidal for the current generation to sit unconcerned for people to steal and sell their land without regard to tradition and culture,” he said.
Caution
To this end, he cautioned Ghanaians and investors acquiring land from the River Densu, Teachers Mante, Dome Faaso, Kwenyaako through to Jejeti to be careful.
“All these lands are Okyeman Stool Lands, hence any acquisition without the consent of the Allodial title holder, that’s the Okyenhene, do (sic) so at their own risk. The Okyeman Land Protection Force is simply enforcing the laws on Immovable Property with particular regard to the alienation of lands in Ghana,” he noted.
Currently, there is tension between the Greater Accra Scrap Dealers Association, KOANS Building Solution and the Okyeman Land Protection Force over some acres of land allocated to the scrap dealers by KOANS at Teacher Mante.
According to reports, the scrap dealers claim to have bought the 50-acre parcel of land from KOANS. There is also another private person who occupied the land prior to KOANS claiming ownership of the said land. The person has also shown registration documents with the seal from Ofori Panin Fie and that of the Lands commission, claiming ownership of the same land.
Issue
Reports further say the development had led to the destruction of a fence wall erected by the Scrap dealers, who encroached on the other party’s land. The scrap dealers have already served notice to retaliate if their fence wall is not reconstructed in weeks.
Meanwhile, the Akyem Apapam Akwansrahene, Nana Baah, has announced that lands spanning from River Densu, Teacher Mante, Dome – Faase, Kwenyaako through to Jejeti are Okyeman Stool Lands. He therefore insisted that any sale of these land without the endorsement of the Ofori Panin Fie remains null and void.
“Nananoom, with support from the Okyeman Land Protection Force, will not allow anyone to appropriate to themselves Okyeman Stool lands. Any encroacher will be dealt with in accordance with the law,” he warned.