Navrongo, Upper East region- A fraudulent land sale scandal has rocked a community Chief in Pungu Wusungu- Pe Adiachwe I. N. Kuu Naa Ii.
The Chief and two persons have been exposed after allegedly selling 23 plots of land located within the Dedoro Forest Reserve in the Wusungu Didonbia locality of the Kasena Nankana East Municipality.
Investigations reveal that the land in question, which falls under the custodianship of the Navrongo Pio, was sold on March 3, 2025, to one Akoka Richard for GHC420,000 without due process.
Proceeds from the alleged fraudulent deal was reportedly paid into a CBG Navrongo Branch account registered under a private company with the account number 22612xxxxxxxx0001.
When contacted for his response to the allegations, Pungu Wusungu-Pe Adiachwe I. N. Kuu Naa II confirmed that he indeed owns the land in question at the forest reserve.
"I suspect a very big frame up because of a Chieftaincy dispute in Navrongo. I did a legitimate sale of my own land and I have all my documents to prove that," he insisted.
Readers can check the receipt of payment among other documents here:
Further checks indicate that the sale was conducted at the blind side of the Navrongo Pio, the Paramount Chief with customary oversight responsibility over lands within his jurisdiction.
Even more disturbing, customary land secretariat application documents were completed without the necessary due diligence required to prevent fraudulent land sales thereby raising suspicions of deliberate encroachment on Forest commission protected forest lands.
Sources also allege that the deal was first detected by the District Forestry Officer who took measures to halt the encroachment.
However, officials of the Lands Commission, whom are believed to have acted outside the law, surprisingly signed off the sale of the forest reserve.
Concerns are mounting over the intended use of the land, with many locals speculating that it may be earmarked for illegal mining (galamsey) operations.
Some community groups within the Wusungu Division have expressed outrage over the development and alleged that the Chief is notorious for seizing and selling lands and are calling on Navro Pio to take immediate traditional sanctions.
“This is not just fraud; it is a direct insult to the Navrongo Pio and an abuse of the entire traditional structure. No one, not even the Navro Pio, has the authority to sell off forest lands without permission from the Forestry Commission -one community elder in Navrongo fumed.
“We are demanding that Pe Adiachwe I.N. Kuu Naa II be summoned before the Navrongo Traditional Council to account for his actions. If proven guilty, he must face the full sanctions of custom and law,” another community member source insisted.
“This reckless act puts our sacred forest in danger of destruction and negates the government efforts to protect the nations forests and natural resources. We cannot allow personal greed to override the collective heritage of Navrongo and Ghana. The Navro Pio must deal with this matter decisively,” a youth leader in the community warned.
Community members are urging law enforcement agencies and the Forestry Commission to investigate the transaction thoroughly and bring all accomplices—including any government officials who will be found to have contravened the country’s laws to book.
As the controversy deepens, the reputation of the Navrongo Traditional Area hangs in the balance, with many awaiting the next move from the investigation bodies, Forestry commission and Navrongo Pio and the community.
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