Unauthorized Structures To Be Demolished In Ashanti Region

Kumasi, Aug 28, - Mr F.K. Mensah, chairman of the Ashanti Region Land Commission, said today that the demolition of unauthorised structures on government and public lands in the region will start immediately documents covering their acquisition are ready. The documents, he said, are almost ready and that nothing will stop the commission from retrieving government lands in accordance with its mandate. Mr Mensah who was reacting to a statement that it is the virtual inactivity of the commission to demolish unauthorised houses and other structures on such land that has accounted for the encroachment, said the inactivity stemmed from the legalities involved. He was speaking at a durbar the commission held with the staff of the secretariat and other organisations and bodies connected with land acquisition to share ideas for the effectiveness of the commission in the region. Mr Mensah said even though the documents are not yet ready the police acting on reports submitted to them by the commission have arrested for questioning some people involved in the sale of public lands and encroachment on the Owabi Dam catchment area. He explained that the Asantehene, Otumfuo Opoku Ware the second, placed an embargo on the sale of lands in the Owabi catchment area but in spite of the embargo, the caretaker chiefs continue to sell the lands. The commission, Mr Mensah said, has great respect not only for the Asantehene but for all chiefs in Ashanti but pointed out that it will not allow any chief to encroach on government lands. He said the Kumasi Traditional Council has also given its blessing for the arrest of all those involved in the illegal sale of government lands including chiefs after the council had been briefed on the activities of the encroachers. The chairman said the regional commission has set itself a task to achieve speedy land transaction to justify the decentralization of the Lands Commission. He said the state of indiscipline in land use, especially in the Kumasi peri-urban areas, has not escaped the attention of the commission, pointing out that issues of encroachment on public lands are emerging everyday.