Govt serious about Ga Dangme lands -Quaye

Accra, May 11 GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor is giving serious attention to the issue of Government acquired lands, especially within the Greater Accra Region.

"I wish to assure the chiefs and people of the Ga Dangme State that the Government considers the issue very serious and would soon come out with a white paper," Sheikh Ibrahim Cudjoe Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minister stated on Thursday.


The Regional Minister, who was addressing this year Greater Accra People's Assembly, explained that Government was waiting for the completion of work by a Committee set-up to look into Government land acquisition problems.


The forum occasioned to give the people the opportunity to interact and question the political leadership on its stewardship, attracted Municipal and District Heads of institutions within the Region, Members of Parliament (MPs), Ministers of State, market women, security personnel, politicians and a cross- section of the public.


Sheikh Quaye acknowledged the agitation from the Ga-Dangme Council for the return of Government acquired lands which were not being used by the State to be given back to the original owners.


Sheikh Quaye called on the Ga Dangme State to exercise restraint in their agitation as the Government would adhere to the recommendations of the Committee.


The Regional Minister supported by Municipal and District Chief Executives, Members of Parliament, and other heads of decentralized institutions answered questions from the public including Nii Kpobi Tetteh Tsuru II, La Mantse, Nii Amarkai Amarteifio, Asere Gyaasetse. The La Mantse called on the Government to be transparent in the handling of the matter since the issue had been shrouded in secrecy. He said even though the Government had promised to return the lands to their owners, some of its Ministers and Functionaries were still acquiring portions of the land at Cantonments and Airport Residential Areas.

Nii Amarteifio also expressed similar sentiments about the matter and urged the Government to quicken the process since the youth in the traditional area were increasingly becoming agitated by the undue delay. Nii Abbey Okanfra II, Kwabenya Mantse also complained about the Land Filled Site project at his area, because no compensation had been paid to the landowners.


The Ga Dangme Council, a pressure group fighting for the rights of the Ga Dangme people, on Saturday May 6 2006 held a durbar in Accra to remind Government of issues affecting the Ga Dangme State.


The group has been agitating for the return of Ga stool lands acquired by the Government but which have not been used to their owners. The Council last year went on a march and presented a Memorandum of Understanding to President John Agyekum Kufuor 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 had, 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 lands 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 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.