War Against Land Guards … Govt To Fight Them Like Galamseyers

Mr. John Peter Amewu, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources has said that the ministry was set to wage another war against the “land guard” menace in the country.

He said like the “galamsey”, challenges confronting the country and responses from government, the threat of “Land guards” must also be brought to an end.

The minister said this when he presented office equipment including computers and printers to Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, the Paramount Chief of Osu and president of the Osu Traditional Council in Accra on Tuesday.

The donation was meant to support the office of the customary land secretariat set up to solve land disputes and its registration within the traditional authorities.

Accompanied by his two deputies, Mrs Barbara Oteng-Gyasi and Bernito Owusu-Bio and a host of high ranking officials from the various directorate of the ministry, the minister said, the visit would be replicated in all the regional capitals to ensure that “land guard issues became a thing of the past soon.

“Land Guard” in local parlance refers to groups of people who often wield weapons and terrorise landowners leading to the loss of lives and properties.

Mr Amewu, however, said like the galamsey menace, the land guard phenomenon could no longer be allowed to exist in the face of rule of law, especially, when their operations posed security threat to the country.

He said the government in its campaign promise and manifesto to Ghanaians came out with policies such as One village One dam and One district One factory for all segments of society which could only be delivered with good land tenure systems.

Mr Amewu said the government in order to succeed must ensure that issues and challenges facing the land tenure system were addressed to pave way to smooth land acquisition for the implementation of the project.

He commended the Osu Mantse for taking the initiative to set up the land management office in order to ensure openness and less stress in acquisition of landed properties under his jurisdiction.

Mr Amewu said government would collaborate with key traditional stakeholders in the country to ensure the harmonisation of land acquisition in the country.

Nii Dowuona who is the president of the Greater Accra House of Chief and a member of National House of Chiefs commended the minister for his initiative in bringing on board traditional rulers to streamline acquisition of land in the country.

He said the issue was very relevant since land acquisition leaseholds and renewal of lease holds were bedeviled with many challenges which created many court litigations and the land guard menace.