Kumasi, July 17, GNA- Mr Emmanuel Asamoah Owusu -Ansah, Ashanti Regional Minister, has expressed worry over the increasing rate of encroachment of school lands in the region. He said government was determined to ensure that, school lands were legally documented and fence walls built around them to forestall future encroachments.
Mr. Owusu-Ansah was speaking at a meeting he held with the chiefs, elders and youth of Abrepo in Kumasi and school authorities of Kumasi Girls Senior High School (SHS) to settle the misunderstanding that existed between them over the disputed land, encroached upon by some private estate developers.
Some Abrepo citizens and the illegal encroachers had resisted the construction of a fence wall around the school by the government at the cost of GH¢ 140,000 under the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND). When completed the fence wall would make it impossible for residents occupying the encroached school land to have easy access to their homes. Mr Owusu-Ansah noted that the Kumasi Girls School land was properly and legally acquired with appropriate compensations paid to the land owners. The Regional Minister produced a payment voucher dated 9th July 1975 which stated that "14,513 cedis was paid as compensation for crops, drinks to caretaker chiefs and legal fees in respect of permanent site acquired for Kumasi Girls Secondary School".
Mr. Owusu-Ansah, therefore, advised the chiefs to co-operate with the school authorities to ensure peace, unity and development of the school. Nana Kwabena Opoku, Otumfuo Apeedehene who earlier resisted the construction of the fence wall, later agreed with the Regional Minister's explanation. Mr Owusu-Ansah was later accompanied by Mr Osei Asibey Antwi, the Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr J.K. Onyinah, Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Mr. Osei Owusu Ansah, of Otumfuo Stool Land Secretariat, Nana Kwabena Opoku, Otumfuo Apeedehene, Nana Asante Boateng III, Odikro of Abrepo, the school authorities and Board of Governors inspected the fence wall and the school boundaries. 17 July 08
