Henry Quartey
Residents of Malejor near Oyibi in the Adentan Municipal Assembly of the Greater Accra Region have appealed to the government to take action against a squatter who has put up an illegal structure in the area.
According to the residents, the squatter has erected a kiosk on an access route to the Valley View University.
“Pursuant to section 117 sub-section 1 of the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925), a person shall not carry out physical development within the country unless the development is carried out in accordance with permit used under this Act”.
In a petition sighted by DAILY GUIDE and dated February 7, 2023, the residents said the squatter, Emmanuel Quarcoo, claimed that portion of the land belonged to him and that he purchased it from one George Ofori Quaye, who is supposed to be a land guard in the region.
The petition was addressed to the Greater Accra Regional Minister and copied to six state institutions, including the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, the Ministry of Education, the Interior Ministry, the IGP, Southern Ghana Conference of SDA and Valley View University.
The residents said Emmanuel Quarcoo had taken over the 15-to-100-foot route that had been purposely left by two Seventh-Day Adventist pastors during the school’s construction to service the school campus, hospital, church, and neighbourhood members who wished to attend the school.
According to the petition, the squatter claims the exit and entrance to the university belongs to him as he purchased it for GH¢1,500.00 from one George Ofori Quaye who is said to be a land guard in the area.
The petition, signed by Mrs. Kate Anane with other fifteen signatories, stated that “George Ofori says unless a cash amount of GH¢50,000.00 is paid to them (George Ofori and Emmanuel Quarcoo), the squatter will not move from there, not even any authority can remove him from the exit or entrance to the school.”
According to the petitioners, not only is the illegal structure preventing the students as well as the elderly and the aged in the community from having a simple and direct access to the Valley View University and its hospital in case of emergency, which does not only serve the students but the entire community, but he threatened to use thugs from Nima to beat residents and close the university if any attempt is made to eject him from the entrance to the school.
Madam Kate Anane, a resident in the area who shares an adjoining fence wall with the squatter, in an interview with the DAILY GUIDE said one Michael Tawiah Amoah who claimed to be the District Planning Officer at the Adentan Municipal Assembly extorted an amount of GH¢900 from her to eject the squatter and consequently help him remove a pit latrine which was emanating stench in the vicinity.
According to her, all effort to reach the said Michael Tawiah Amoah purported to be the District Planning Officer has not been fruitful.
Following the petition letter to the Greater Accra Regional Minister and the Adentan Municipal Assembly on December 23, 2022 and February 9, 2023, the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council in a letter signed by Ms. Jemima Lomotey and issued February 16, 2023 and copied to the Municipal Chief Executive of Adentan Municipal Assembly to take immediate action on the matter.
“Consequently, I have the directive of the Hon. Regional Minister to refer same to you and kindly request you to take the necessary action to ensure the issue is addressed. You are also to furnish this office with a report on action taken,” part of the letter read.
DAILY GUIDE reporter who visited the site of the illegal structure can confirm that the structure has still not been removed even after the directive by the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, as the residents continue to appeal to government to take action on the matter immediately.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah