Minister Cited In Land Grabbing Spree

The Tema Divisional Villages Youth Organisation has accused the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Hon Nii Laryea Afotey -Agbo for conniving with some officials of the Lands Commission to loot their lands to the people of Apolonia in Kpone-Katamansu constituency in the Greater Accra region.

The Tema Divisional Villages Youth Organisation alleged that Hon Afotey- Agbo, who is also the MP for the area, has connived with official of the Lands Commission and re-registered an already registered land belonging to the people of Tema to the Apolonia community.

Portion of the said land in question, which is under interlocutory injunction, is situated at Kubekro in the Tema Municipal area in the Greater Accra Region. In an exclusive interview with GO on Friday, the Secretary of Tema Divisional Villages Youth Organisation, Nii Amarh Ashiboye accused the MP for siding with the Apolonia people who have encroached upon their land. He pointed out that the Regional Minister, who is supposed to help in solving the encroachment issue, has worsened the situation by bedding with the Apolonia people. “Nii Afotey- Agbo’s agents -Abladu, Seth and Ben - leaders of the thugs have made it clear that it is the MP who is behind the destruction of people’s farms,” he alleged.

Mr. Ashiboye explained that the Apolonia people have defied a court injunction barring them from encroaching upon the said land, saying they have hired the services of thugs to harass farmers with weapons, stealing cows and goats in the area.

“The court gave an order for the Police to arrest the thugs in the area, the arrest took place and Afotey-Agbo ordered the Police to release the thugs immediately and the Police complied,” he alleged.

The Secretary of the Tema Divisional Villages Youth Organisation bemoaned that due to the terrorism being perpetrated by these hired thugs, farmers at Zenu and its environs are griped with fear.

Mr Ashiboye appealed to government to intervene in the issue by setting up government pillars to replace the traditional pillars which exist at the moment to serve as boundaries between Tema and Kpone as has been done in Nungua and Tema or Kpone/Prampram. “We don’t want any mayhem in the municipality, all that we want is peace to prevail, if the right thing is not done then we will advise ourselves,” he cautioned. In an interview with some NDC party faithful in the area, they complained that if nothing is done, it will affect their campaign, saying “how can we allow them to take our land, they have trespassed, they should leave our territory and keep off from our land”.

In a rebuttal via-phone, the Greater Accra Regional Minister who is also called “the Lion” said their behaviour is out of ignorance.

According to the Minister, the Apolonia people have documents covering their land titles from the Lands Commission which indicates their boundaries. “What interest do I have in this issue? He asked, saying “they think that if you are an MP or in high position you can abuse your office by taking the law into your hands, but things have changed, we are in a democratic dispensation”. He said the courts are there for everybody, saying the Tema Villages Youth can go to court if they feel other people are trespassing on their boundaries. “Am not above the law, as an MP I sometimes solve issues concerning my constituents though, I can’t change anything in this issue by declaring a boundary, I can’t take the law into my hands,” he said.