There is tension at Mpehuasem in the East Legon enclave in Accra as the owner of some lands in the area, Michael Senyo Ahiayibor has stated that he is ready to fight for his claims over some portions marked by the Lands Commission as state lands.
The Chief of Mpehuasem, Mantse Nii Torgbor Obodai VI at a press conference recently alleged the abuse of state power in the demolition of properties of legitimate landowners.
Despite claims by the Lands Commission that its recent operations in the Mpehuasem area are aimed at stopping encroachment on State lands, Mr. Ahiayibor maintains that he has become the target of some individuals including persons at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, and the Lands Commission as well as private individuals seeking to arrogate his lands for their private benefits.
According to him, he has relevant documents including a land title covering the 4.86-acre land which he has since leased portions to the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).
Mr. Ahiayibor stated that he purchased the lands in the area over 21years ago and has since then through his lawyers acquired valid documents from the lands commission to validate his ownership of the land.
He added that there have been in recent years attempts by individuals with personal interests hiding behind the powers of the lands commission to dishonestly take over his land.
“If it is government land how come all the searches, I conducted at the same Lands Commission when I was applying for the land title did not show anything as such? I have in my possession over 15 correspondences between me and the Lands Commission between 2007 to 2011. Lands Commission was dealing with me on multiple requests on the property. I went through all that and a genuine land title was issued to me. Nobody ever said the land is government land. I have file numbers and all the genuine documents’,’ he noted
He narrated further that “I have yellow cards of when I lodged the lands at the Lands Commission. When I lodged that yellow card, the Lands Commission said they are multiple requests and that there were individual names on it. The lands commission never said it is government land, and I have correspondence with the lands commission regarding those lands from 2007 as well as a search report that shows it wasn’t government land before a title was issued to me’’.
Mr. Ahiayibor said he had peacefully owned the land in question until somewhere in 2015, when he had invested huge amounts of money into the land between 2005 and 2006, including constructing drainages, before some individuals started to fight him and others over the land.
The Chief of Mpehuasem, Nii Torgbor Obodai Ampao VI, said his residents are currently the subjects of unlawful and targeted destruction of properties by some individuals under the guise of undertaking land reclamation exercise on behalf of the state.
According to the chief, the residents on Monday, April 26, and Tuesday, April 27, 2021, woke up to “some persons claiming to have been sent by the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry, with the backing of the Ministry of National Security, led by one Clement Gyato, a known notorious Land Guard who disguises himself as Land entrepreneur, entered our properties without any notice to us and caused massive demolition of our properties.”
The Chief then appealed to the Ministry and the President to come to the aid of innocent citizens who through their toils have acquired these pieces of land and quizzed the lands commission, to what intended purpose are these small disjointed lands being reclaimed for?
-BY Daniel Bampoe