Achimota forest land: Odoi Kwao family call for the arrest of Nii Lante Vanderpuye

The Nii Odoi Kwao family in Accra has called for the arrest of Odododiodio MP, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, for claiming to be part of the Owoo family.

According to the Odoi Kwao family, the Owoo family claiming to be the allodial owners of the Achimota forest land are scammers and must be arrested and prosecuted.

Nii Lante Vanderpuye had stated earlier on Metro TV that he is a member of the Owoo family.

He explained, "the said land was acquired by Nii Owoo and my great grandmother, Florence Naa Kwarley Quartey Vanderpuye. After leaving Vanderpuye, she (Naa Kwarley) married Nii Owoo. She was quite rich, she owned a lot of lands, and she gave a lot of lands out for the public good.

TWI NEWS

"I grew up to get knowledge (of this history) from my grandfather. So, in the cause of time, I felt that we, the matrilineal side, the Vanderpuyes, have not been treated fairly, so I contacted our cousins, the Owoos and said [look, the land was acquired by our great grandmother and our great grandfather, it looks like you have taken us out].

"So, instead of litigating, we joined forces to petition, in fact, we started from the days of Jerry John Rawlings… he (Rawlings) was so passionate, you know his mother also married into the family… he was so particular about this, and he said I went to Achimota School and I will not allow even a quarter of this land to be taken away. He even got mad with the extension of the golf course to eat into part of the forest."

But the Odoi Kwao family, at a press conference in Accra, said:

"It happened that there is a lawyer called John Adusei who said he is speaking on behalf of the Owoo family of Osu.

"Secondly, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, the Member of Parliament for Odododiodoo Constituency in Accra here, also spoke that he is part of the petition for the land to be given. We, the Odoi Kwao family, are saying that the purported Owoo family of Osu to whom the land was purported to have been given are scammers, they are criminals, and therefore they have to be found and prosecuted."