GSSM students clash with land guards over sale of school land

Students of the Ghana School of Surveying and Mapping (GSSM) on Tuesday, 2 May clashed with land guards at the school’s premises who pelted them with stones for protesting against the sale of their school land.

According to reports, the land guards positioned on the school compound threw stones at the students who also pelted them back leading to skirmishes between the two groups.

The students in protest also attempted to break down a demarcation of aluminium sheets on portions of the land sold to investors.

It took the effort of police reinforcement to restore peace and order.

Chief Superintendent Henry K Otoo, Airport District Commander of the Ghana Police Service, addressing the students, entreated them to maintain calm as the authorities address their concerns.

“We have not come here to arrest anybody. All we have come to do here is to ensure that there is peace around the area that anyone is equally protected,” he said.

SRC president Bright Joseph Nsiah called on the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources John Peter Amewu to intervene in what they described as an “illegal ejection of students by the Lands Commission”.

They were also unhappy with the invasion of the school campus by land guards, inauguration of the school's board, and inadequate facilities to enhance teaching and learning despite the huge fees paid.

“These are the topmost issues confronting students and they would like to have answers from the Board of Directors of the Lands Commission, especially the Director of Survey and Mapping Division of the Lands Commission (SMD) and the Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, under whose jurisdiction the school falls,” GSSM said in an earlier statement.