GaDangme Council reminds government

Accra, May 6, GNA-The GaDangme Council, a pressure group for the rights of the GaDangme people on Saturday held a durbar in Accra to remind Government of burning issues affecting the GaDangme state. The Council last year went on a march and presented a Memorandum of Understanding to the President and the Speaker of Parliament outlining issues of land, culture and language, the Ada Songhor Lagoon and the re-naming of the Accra Sports Stadium.

The Council however, complained that neither the President nor the Speaker of Parliament had acknowledged the Memorandum of Understanding nor taken any action on the issues.

Addressing the durbar, Mr K.B Asante, the President of the Council called on the Lands Commission to cease the allocations of public land to private individuals and companies contrary to the law, warning that the continuation of such sales was a recipe for future chaos and disorder.

The Law requires that, "public lands" which are no longer required for the public purposes for which they were acquired must be returned to the original owners and the original owners must be given the first option to re-acquire such lands.

Mr Asante noted that the allocation of public lands to private persons for their private benefit contravenes both the Constitution and all the relevant laws on the acquisition of land for public purposes. He referred to Act 2 (The Protection of Purchasers Act) of 1962, and blamed the Law for giving rise to the employment of land-guards who protect "stolen" lands while being developed.

The durbar regretted the attitude of officialdom and said while receipt of the Memorandum was yet to be acknowledged, portions of land at the Switchback Road in Accra were being given to influential individuals.

Mr. Asante dared the Lands Commission Chairman to deny the lease of lands to top government and state officials.

"We do not want to believe that these leases were arranged to make it difficult, if not impossible, for the distinguished personalities involved to discharge their functions honourably", Mr Asante said. Amidst chanting of war songs from youth groups of the Council, Mr Asante called for immediate response to the issue of re-allocation of land, in addition to overdue compensation for GaDangme lands acquired for public purposes.

The Council suggested to Government an Escrow Account for the GaDangme lands, as interim compensation as attempts were made to unify various factions to land disputes, which had been blamed for the delay in paying land compensation.

The Council also called for the respect of GaDangme language and culture, demanding that GaDangme language teachers should not be posted outside the GaDangme region by the education authorities. It stated also that the option granted school authorities in the GaDangme areas to decide whether or not to have the GaDangme languages taught in their schools offends the national policy on the learning of local languages.

The Council re-called the repeal of PNDC Law 287, which would release the Songhor Lands to the Ada people, arguing that there were alternate Development Schemes for the winning of salt in the Songhor Lagoon and for major industries to be established.

The Council also called for a clear national policy for the naming of national landmarks, and repeated its call for the international stadium in Accra to be given its original name, Accra Sports Stadium. The stadium was renamed Ohene Djan Stadium, amidst protests from the Council and other concerned GaDangmes.

The Council also called for immediate steps to erect or name suitable landmarks in Accra in honour the late Mr William Ofori Atta and Mr Justice Akuffo Addo, to complete the landmarks in Accra, for the "Big Six" for their great contribution to the attainment of Ghana's independence.

Mr Bright Akwetey, a Member of the Legal Committee of the Council went down into history and said the fight for the release and against misallocation of GaDangme lands was similar to that of the Aborigines Right Protection Society in the colonial days of Ghana, in protecting the annexation of land by the British.

He challenged the sale of government bungalows in Accra to private individuals and said that action should be repeated in other regional capitals if it were legal.

Mr Akwetey also called for a national debate of the re-allocation of government-acquired lands to individuals.

Some youth groups accused Nii Adote Obuor, the Acting President of the Ga Traditional Council of connivance for the non-payment of dues and factionalism and asked him to step down. Nii Kojo Ababio, Ngleshi Alata Mantse, some chiefs and traditional priests and office holders in the GaDangme state attended the durbar.