Leaked Audio: Government engaging the services of land guards – Chief Director of lands ministry

It has come to light that the Government of Ghana, through chiefly, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR) has been contracting land guards to claim lands or protect lands from being encroached upon.

More worrying are revelations that even security agencies such as the army and police also use these land guards for various purposes.

In a leaked audio, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR), Prof Patrick Agbesinyale at a Parliamentary Committee meeting held on 10th July 2023, revealed that the government was hiding behind land guards to claim lands to avoid the controversy and criticism that arise when it uses the police or army, adding that attempts to take over lands by land guards have led to the death of people.

“I think the idea was that anytime the Government apparatus – the police, military among others – are seen going out there to claim lands, you know the hullabaloo and backlash the Government receives. So, what they do is that you would set up somebody like this and the Government would be hiding behind it so he can reclaim government lands…So, I remember that during the claiming process, three people lost their lives. There were gunshots, an exchange of fire, and three people lost their lives there. Except that Gyato [a well-known land guard] has a section of the media on his side who would cover always – it’s is a whole set-up,” he said.

The use of land guards is against the Vigilantism and Related Offenses Act, 2019(Act, 999) which was passed by the current Government. Clause 7(5) of the act says: “A person shall not directly or indirectly, engage a land guard to protect or guard the property of that person or any other person. 7(6) says; a person who contravenes subsection (5) commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not less than 10 years and not more than 15 years.”