Residents and youth of Appolonia, a village in the Kpone Traditional Area has vehemently denied allegations leveled against them by a group calling itself, Tema Divisional Villages Youth Organization that the people of Appolonia have been using land-guards and thugs to terrorize residents in the area.
“The issue of our people using land guards and thugs to terrorize natives of Tema villages is not true. Rather, the people of Kubekro led by their Assemblyman, Alhaji Iddrisu Kojo Annang Adjieteh hired land-guards to terrify a group of youth from Appolonia who were winning sand on their own land and beat up one Annang Agyeman, aka ‘Goo’ almost to death. This information can be verified from the Ashaiman Kaketo Divisional Police Station”, they noted in a media conference.
Addressing a press conference at Appolonia, Mr. Joshua Abam Tetteh, Secretary to the Apolonia Stool and an Executive member of the concerned citizens of Apolonia also denied other allegations leveled against his people saying the accusations were untrue and that they were calculated to dent the hard earned image of his people.
He disclosed that the group at a press conference held about a month ago at Kubekro among other things claimed that the people of Appolonia have managed to register over 6,000 acres of land belonging to them in the name of Kpone Stool and went ahead to claim ownership of that stretch of land.
“The group said the issue of the ownership of the land was brought before a Gold Coast Supreme Court and on 11th June, 1887 the court ruled in favour of their then chief, Nii Adjei Kraku I. “Since then, natives of Apolonia and Gbetsile in the Kpone Traditional Area came to seek permission from them before they could farm on the land”, he noted.
He furthered that the Tema youth alleged that they reported the issue to the MP for the area, Hon Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, Hon Robert Kempes Ofosuware - TMA boss and ACP Augustine Gyenning - the then Tema Police boss to help resolve the matter but to no avail.
They alleged further that because the above-mentioned personalities failed to do something about the issue, they proceeded to court to place an injunction on the said land and it was granted and some people were arrested, “But the MP for the area, ordered the police to release the thugs”.
Debunking the allegations, Mr. Abam Tetteh noted that the chiefs and people of Appolonia have a Land Title Certificate and a Declaration covering all that stretch of land which the Kubekro people are fighting over, making their claims to the land a non-starter.
He hinted that never in the history of the people of Appolonia that the people sought permission from the Kubekro people to release portions of their land to us to farm on.
With regards to accusing MP for the area, who is also the Greater Accra Regional Minister and others for not doing anything to help resolve the issue, Mr. Abam Tetteh explained that it is unfortunate the Tema youth could lie about such personalities.
He continued that after they had reported the case to them, “Series of meetings were called by the TMA boss ostensibly to address their concerns. Some of the dignitaries who participated in these meetings were Hon. Afotey-Agbo, Tema Mantse – Nii Adjei Kraku II, Kpone Mantse – Nii Tetteh Otu II, ACP Augustine Gyenning and all the chiefs and elders of the respective villages. “At one of such meetings, a decision was taken that both parties should produce documents covering their lands. The people of Kpone readily made their documents available; unfortunately the people of Tema could not present a single document to buttress their claims.
“The people of Kpone then realized that the main aim of the people of Tema was to have the disputed land divided so they could have a portion of it to themselves”, he remarked.
He observed that his people refused to allow the Tema people to have their way and they became disgruntled and therefore went to court to seek redress.
“As we speak now they have lost two cases already. Firstly, they sought injunction from an Accra High Court to restrain the people of Apolonia from working on the land in question, but the court dismissed their application. “Secondly, they filed for contempt of court case against Nii Tetteh Otu II, paramount chief of Kpone and others, including the Appolonia Mantse; again, the case was dismissed by the court”, Mr. Abam Tetteh pointed out.
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