MPs demand clamp on land guards’ activities

Members of Parliament on Thursday decried the menacing progression of the activities of land guards, urging a decisive clamp on their actions before they become a threat to the country’s security.

They contended that the militant posture that the land guarding phenomenon had assumed was an ominous danger that should not be taken lightly as that could metamorphose into an unpleasant blight on the nation’s safety.

The lawmakers were reacting to a statement made on the floor of Parliament by Mr David Tetteh Assuming, the member for Shai-Osudoku, drawing attention to the upsurge of the activities of lands guards in the country.

Mr Assumeng told the House that owing to the negativity of their (land guards) actions, there should be decisiveness in curbing that emerging threat as the consequences of their doings, if left to fester, would compromise the peace and tranquility of the people.

He gave a narrative where several communities in his constituency were recently under the siege of land guards recruited to protect lands in those areas, resulting in casualties and the destruction of property, with people fleeing the communities for days, returning only after the District Security Committee had intervened in the matter.

Mr Assumeng suggested that stern punitive measures be meted on people who indulge in such activities and for others who employ the services of land guards, before the situation is exacerbated like the Fulani herdsmen problem.

He advocated stakeholder consultations on the issue to resolve the problem.

Land guards are bands of able-bodied, weapon-wielding youth, contracted by land and property owners to protect their lots. Their activities over a period have become chaotic, extortionist, criminal, vicious, violent and lately militant.

Mr Kofi Frimpong, MP for Kwabre East, on his part thought land guards should be treated as criminals because it was becoming increasingly clear that even armed robbers were operating under the guise of land guards.

He called on members of the Executive, who were knowledgeable on the issue, to apprise the House on the steps government was taking to address the matter.

The Member for Chiana/Paga, Abuga Pele, also suggested a critical appraisal of land acquisition in the country and the making of relevant legislation to regulate that sector and the activities of land guards.