General News of 2012-07-09

Rejoinder: Lakeside Estate Grabs More Ga Lands

The attention of the management of Agri-Cattle Lakeside Estate Ltd. has been drawn to a publication made by one Nana Kantanka Antwi on 27 June 2012 on GhanaWeb.com to the effect that Lakeside Estate has grabbed more Ga Lands and wish to react to such a falsehood and unfounded allegation and to allay the fears of its cherished customers and the general public.

The management of Lakeside Estate wish to state that Japan Motors and Lakeside Estate Ltd all belong to the Kalmoni Group of Companies. Japan Motors which is the first of the Kalmoni Group of Companies to be established in Ghana, was established when the first of the Kalmonis’ landed in the Gold Coast in 1912. Japan Motors is not known to have involved itself in Ghanaian politics whether directly or indirectly since its establishment.

The management of Lakeside Estate Ltd. has never held any meeting with the leadership of the National Democratic Congress and wish to challenge the writer to provide evidence. On the issue of the land which is being developed by Lakeside Estate Ltd into Real Estate houses, it is important to inform the general public that one of the Companies of Kalmoni Group then called Agri-Cattle Ltd took a leasehold interest from Nungua Stool in over 3,000 acres of land at Katamansu area for fifty years in 1974 for agricultural purpose. In 1995, Agri-Cattle took a fresh leasehold interest in the same tract of land from the Nungua Stool for a further term of fifty years and with the consent of the Nungua Stool registered same.

When the Company decided to change its operations from agriculture to Real Estate development, a new Company called Agri-Cattle Lakeside Estate Ltd. was incorporated with the full consent of its grantors. Agri-Cattle Lakeside Estate Ltd started the Real Estate development in 2005 and has since grown to become one of the leading Real Estate developing Companies in Ghana which produces affordable houses for the middle income bracket. It is important at this stage to point out the falsehoods that were contained in the publication by Nana Kantanka Antwi;

It is not true that Lakeside Estate has grabbed more Ga lands. Lakeside Estate Ltd has not acquired any additional lands since obtaining the first lease of land at katamansu area in 1974. The management wish to challenge the writer to provide evidence of the said land acquisitions. Japan Motors is one of the Companies that form the Kalmoni Group. Its management is different from that of Agri-Cattle Lakeside Estate Ltd. and so does not involve itself in the operations and management of Agri-Cattle Lakeside Estate Ltd. Japan Motors have neither imported cars to be given to the National Democratic Congress in order for the Government to protect the activities of Agri-Cattle Lakeside Estate Ltd, nor have organised to see La Mantse on behalf of Agri-Cattle Lakeside Estate Ltd. It is worth mentioning that Agri-Cattle Lakeside Estate lawfully acquired the land it is operating on from the Nungua stool and it is doing legitimate business on the said land and therefore does not need the protection of the National Democratic Congress before it can carry out its lawful business. It is also not true that Agri-Cattle Lakeside Estate Ltd has trained any land guards to terrorise any resident. It is also worth pointing out that where a person is jailed by a court of competent jurisdiction, it is either the person was arraigned before court and he pleaded guilty and so was accordingly convicted and sentenced or he was tried and found guilty and was therefore convicted and sentenced. Where an accused person is convicted and sentenced no other person can order for his release not even the Vice President as being portrayed by the writer.

The management of Agri-Cattle Lakeside Estate Ltd. wish to inform the writer, Nana Kantanka Antwi that bribery is a criminal offence and the party giving and one receiving are offenders and therefore challenge the writer to report the bribery information he claims to have gathered to the appropriate quarters. The management of Agri-Cattle Lakeside Estate ltd. wish to reiterate its position that it has never and does not intend to involve itself in the politics of this country. It is a business entity doing lawful and legitimate business and contributing its quota to the national development irrespective of the party in power. The management of Agri-Cattle Lakeside Estate wish to assure its cherished customers and the general public that there is no iota of truth in the publication made by Nana Kantanka Antwi and therefore ask the general public to treat it with the contempt the said publication deserves.

Any individual or group of individuals who wish to seek further information can contact the management on www.lakesideestate.com or walk to the Seventh Floor Silver Star Tower, Airport City, Accra Ghana.