The Ogbe Assumeng Family has issued a 21-day ultimatum over alleged land encroachment at Yongwasi.
The Ogbe Assumeng Family has issued a 21-day ultimatum to individuals, companies and developers allegedly occupying, acquiring or dealing in portions of its lands at Yongwasi in the Shai Osudoku District of the Greater Accra Region without authorisation.
The family says the ultimatum is intended to provide an opportunity for persons who acquired land through unauthorised persons, or who have defaulted on lease, ground rent or other obligations, to come forward for verification and regularisation.
Speaking at a press conference at Osuwem on Friday, August 21, 2026, Prof. Dennis Sayram Benson, Lawful Attorney for Nene Ogbe Assumeng IV, said the family considered the situation an urgent threat to its property rights and heritage.
He maintained that the Yongwasi lands were private family property and not stool or state land.
According to him, the land was acquired through a public auction by the family's forebear, Theophilus Kwabla Otibo, also known and gazetted as Nene Ogbe Assumeng.
He said a Certificate of Purchase dated March 8, 1923, was issued under the hand of Sir Crampton Smyly, then Chief Justice of the Gold Coast, and subsequently registered at the Lands Deeds Registry in Accra as No. 484/1925.
Prof. Benson said the family had remained in open and peaceful possession of the land for more than a century.
“For over one hundred and three years, the Ogbe Assumeng Family has held, possessed, managed and administered this land in peace, to the exclusion of the whole world,” he said.
He added that the family had paid rates, granted permissions and protected the property over the years.
Alleged encroachment and unauthorised sales
Prof. Benson alleged that the family had recently observed increasing cases of encroachment, trespassing, unauthorised sales and allocations, as well as construction and other developments on portions of the land without the family's consent.
He also alleged that some individuals and groups had entered into lease arrangements or allocated portions of the land without the authority of the Ogbe Assumeng Family.
He warned prospective buyers and developers to conduct proper checks before entering into transactions involving the Yongwasi lands.
According to him, the family comprises three gates — Tettey Gate, Tetteh Gate and Nakoyo Gate — and any alienation of family land must be undertaken jointly through the lawful administrators.
He said transactions conducted without the written consent, signatures and seal of the lawful administrators would not be recognised by the family.
Family willing to support development
Despite its concerns, Prof. Benson said the family was not opposed to development in the area and had resolved to voluntarily release portions of the land for projects that would benefit the community.
He mentioned township expansion, modern schools and a community library, a market and a health centre among projects for which portions of the land could be made available.
“We are not against development. We are pro-development. But development must be done properly, with documentation and respect for the rights of the lawful owners,” he said.
21-day window for regularisation
The family has therefore directed persons who acquired portions of the land through unauthorised persons, as well as those who have entered into lease, licence or tenancy arrangements and defaulted in their obligations to report to the Ogbe Assumeng Family Secretariat.
They have been asked to contact the secretariat within 21 days from August 21, 2026, and present all relevant documents for verification, regularisation and settlement of outstanding obligations.
Prof. Benson described the 21-day period as an opportunity for affected persons to resolve their claims without confrontation.
He, however, warned that the family would pursue legal remedies against those who failed to respond to the notice.
These, he said, could include legal action to recover portions of the land, claims for damages and injunctions, and prosecution where applicable.
He also mentioned possible action against unauthorised structures and the publication of the names and photographs of alleged defaulters, subject to applicable law.
“We do not want confrontation. We do not want bloodshed. We want peace, development and the rule of law. But we will defend, by all lawful means, what is lawfully ours,” he said.
Call to Lands Commission, District Assembly
The family further appealed to the Shai Osudoku District Assembly and the Lands Commission in the Greater Accra Region to ensure that transactions involving the disputed Yongwasi lands are properly verified.
Prof. Benson urged prospective buyers to contact the family secretariat before making payments for any portion of the land.
“To all bona fide developers, investors and citizens, our doors are open. Come and work with us the right way,” he said.
He said the family remained willing to partner with genuine investors on projects involving housing, agriculture, schools and industrial development.
Prof. Benson also disclosed that three lawsuits were already pending and indicated that further legal action could be initiated if the alleged encroachment and unauthorised dealings continued.
He stressed that the family’s objective was to protect what it described as a century-old property interest while promoting peaceful development in the Osudoku area.
The family maintained that the 1,405-acre portion compulsorily acquired by the Government of Ghana and for which it says compensation was paid was excluded from the current dispute.
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