La Mantse inaugurates East Dadekotopon Development Trust Board of Trustees

The La Traditional Council has inaugurated an eight member Board of Trustees for the East Dadekotopon Development Trust, with the mandate of running the Trust for the benefit of the people of La.

The Members of the Board of Trustees include Mr Samuel Sowah Oblejuma, Mr Jerry Oddoye, Mr Israel Gonti Adjei and Mr Enoch Addo Sowah.

The rest are Mr Daniel Lartey, Mr Andrew Nii Odoi Yemo, Mr Nii Obuor Fred Afful and Mr Robert Mensah Okpoti.

Dr Nii Kpobi Tettey Tsuru III, the La Mantse and President of the La Traditional Council, who administered the oath of office and secrecy to the Trustees, said the role of the Trust was to take over the control and management of disputed lands in the traditional area.

He tasked the new Board to work in the interest of the good people of La in particular and Ghana as a whole.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Afful, on behalf of his colleague Board Members thanked the La Mantse for the honour done them.

He said the Trust had been in existence since 2003, but unfortunately the remuneration expected to be derived had not benefitted the La community.

He said there was a Trust Deed that guides the administration of the Trust, however, lots of infractions had been caused, which hinders the achievement of the Trust, particularly, in terms of revenue generation.

Mr Afful on behalf of the Board pledged their commitment in ensuring that whatever they do would be in line with the Trust Deed, to help achieve the objectives of the East Dadekotopon Development Trust.

The La Traditional Council in a statement at the inauguration noted that the East Dadekotopon Development Trust was created April 10, 2002, on the execution of the Deed of Trust by the three settlers (a person who makes a settlement of property in establishing a trust); namely La stool and La Traditional Council, Nmati Abonase and Lenshie.

The Council said this was on the back of a consent order on July 11, 2001, which was sealed by the High Court of Ghana.

It said the Trust on its inception inherited lands, which were registered at the Land Title Registry in 2003 under the title number GA 19310.

The Council noted that, at a sitting in Accra on July 31, 2017, the High Court of Justice dismissed an Action brought by the Old Trust against the settlors and awarded huge cost against them, and that, had necessitated the inauguration of the New Trustees to reconstitute the Trust.

The Council said the Board of Trustee derives its authority from the settlors and they were mandated to run the Trust for the benefit of the people of La; regrettably, this had not been the case.

It said the Settlors needed to change and revamp the Trust for an effective operation geared towards maximizing the aims for which the Trust was set up in the first place.

The Council said the settlors were aware of encroachment from the Ghana Armed Forces and illegal acquisition of Trust Lands by other individuals and organizations using entities popularly known as Land Guards to harass and terrorize persons who had legitimate titles to the land.

"We will also commission private investigators to undertake in depth investigative work to uncover illegal acquisitions by persons, faceless people, and organizations, whose sole aim is to profit from their illegal activities on Trust lands," it said,

"We advise ‘Lamei’ to be patient, whilst we deal with the aftermath of the transition from the Old Trust to the new and reconstituted Trust, and advise the public at large to desist from dealing with anybody or organization purporting to be the East Dade Kotopon Development Trust," it added.