Kumasi Girls Senior High School faces problem with encroachers

Kumasi, June 22, GNA- Fifty-two private individuals have encroached on the Kumasi Girls Senior High School site at Bohyen Abrepo a suburb of Kumasi and put up residential accommodation making the expansion of the school difficult.

Mr. Asiedu Poku, the Kumasi Metropolitan Director of the Town and Country Planning said these developers have trespassed because they have built without any proper building documents from the appropriate quarters. This came to light at a stakeholders meeting on Friday organized by the Board of Governors of the school to solicit the support of the landlords and the landowners to allow the school complete the fencing of the school.

He called on the chiefs and developers to cooperate with the government to complete the project to give peace to the authorities to protect the students and also ensure harmony in the area pointing out that after the completion, other maters could be settled amicably within a short period.

Mr. Daniel Safo, Lands Officer at the Lands Commission indicated that the contractor could not be stopped because he has been asked to implement the project in a way that would bring peace between the school and the encroachers.

He told those who continue to build day and night to stop for a decision from the government.

Nana Kwabena Poku, Asantehene's Apeedehene, one of the chiefs involved in the contention with the school in a reaction said, he was settled at the place by the Asantehene and to bring peace and understanding to the area, he should be allowed first to inform the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

"If you want peaceful settlement allow us to inform him, please stop the fencing", he said. Mr. Ofori Kuragu, the Chief Executive Officer of J.K. Otchere Construction Company, implementers of the project said the Company has executed over 80 per cent of the project estimated at 140,000 new Ghana Cedis. He said it was left with about 500 out of the total 4,000 feet distance wall to complete the project which was started last year, stressing that they should have completed the project in March this year if the stakeholders had not interrupted by appealing to Mr. Emmanuel Asamoah Owusu-Ansah, Ashanti Regional Minister to intervene. The Apeedehene and Nana Badu Antwi, Abrepohene also of the area wanted the school to re-enter into new agreement for the school site and proper compensation paid to them for the 103-acre land the government acquired from them for the school in 1975.