Bouban residents petition Assembly over encroachment on land earmarked for hospital

Residents of Bouban in the Asokore-Mampong Municipality have petitioned the Municipal Assembly over the encroachment on land earmarked for the construction of a hospital. They want the Assembly to take urgent steps to halt the action as people continue to encroach with impunity despite public agitations against it. The Buoban Landlords and Residents Association handed over the petition to the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr. Kennedy Kankam, after embarking on a peaceful demonstration to create public awareness on the activities of private developers at the detriment of the larger society. They took the media to the designated land to show them the level of encroachment before proceeding to the Assembly to present the petition. This is the second time the Association is presenting a petition on the issue and urged the Assembly to expedite action to prevent the entire land from being taken. The petition quoted Article 257(1) of the 1992 Constitution, which stipulates that; “All public lands in Ghana shall be vested in the President on behalf of, and in trust for, the people of Ghana.” The members said it was important that the MCE, being the Chairman of the Municipal Security Council (MUSEC), showed leadership by protecting the public interest. Mr. Awudu Gariba, the Association’s Secretary, told the Ghana News Agency that it was unacceptable for the Assembly, after presenting a plethora of evidence to it, to watch on helplessly as people continued to steal the land. He said as direct beneficiaries of the hospital project, they would not relent in their push for the right thing to be done, using all the legitimate means. Mr. Kankam, upon receipt of the petition, promised to step up efforts to engage relevant stakeholders to address the issue.