Regional News of Monday, 14 November 2011

Source: The Enquirer

War Looms At Kwabenya

Security Alert

War Looms At Kwabenya

…As Nii Odai Ntow Lands Are Stolen

…Onamrorkor/Adain Family Fingered

…Family Wants Govt. To Act Quick

There are strong signals from Kwabenya, sprawling suburb of Accra that violence would soon erupt over land, as the Nii Odai Ntow Family is crying foul over the manner their lands are being taken over by the Onamrorkor/Adain Family. According to the family, the government of Ghana in the 1960s compulsorily acquired land belonging to the family for the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) project.

“The government at the time took over 2,002 acres of our land but worked on only 503.60 acres and compensated us,” they said.

According to Nii Anteh Kwarkonam III, head and lawful representative of the family, the government at the time compensated and paid ¢141,000.00 in 1975. He said that the government in 2007 decided to release 451 acres of the land for not using it and that the family had been invited to series of meetings. Supporting the family’s claim with documents, the family head said that they were invited on February 16, 2007 to meet the then Minister of Lands.

“Again, when the new government took over, we have been holding meetings on the release of our land to us and when the owners of the land were asked apart from us no other family raised their hands,” he said.

He said out of the blue, the Onamrorkor/Adain family went to court claiming that they own that land.

He said that the family had to restrain the youth and other family recently when the Onamrorkor/Adain family in the company of police stormed the area and demolished structures.

According to him, the family was surprised as to what prompted the courts to release the land to the Onamrorkor/Adain family when indeed it was not for them. He said that it was also amazing as to why the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has allowed the Onamrorkor/Adain to have its way on the land. According to him, the family was expecting the government to do the right thing before it leads to serious dispute.

“The Nii Odai Ntow Family has always been a peaceful family and will not like to do anything that will breach peace and will therefore like to call on the government to act as expected,” he said.