Bishiop Agyin Asare Speaks On �Disputed� Land At Avenor

The General Overseer of the Word Miracle Church Accra, rightly and legally International (WMCI) Bishop Charles Agyin-Asare has stated categorically that the �disputed� land at Avenor in Accra, rightly and legally belongs to the church with supporting documents. �It is church property, and if we let that land go, then we are encouraging lawlessness,� He emphasized in an exclusive interview with The Torch newspaper last Sunday. He contended that should the church let go of the land, it will infer that when people have something that is rightly acquired legally, some squatters somewhere can go and take it. �We have followed due process, we have been going to the court, we have been meeting with the Police to make sure that peace prevails. In short, we have been very law abiding citizens following religiously the laws of the land and we will use the rightful way to develop the land� he said. According to the Bishop, it should not seem as if there is lawlessness in the country, and that the law enforcing agencies cannot protect the citizenry, stressing that if it is believed that the Police cannot protect the citizens, then people can have their way, which is not the best. He hinted that he believed in the constitution, the Police and the law enforcing agencies as well as private ownership and therefore the squatters on the church land cannot have their way and cause further confusion. He questioned the need for the church to send land guards there when they have acquired the land legitimately. The Bishop stated that the Police had driven away the squatters before they (church) went there to develop the land. Though the land belongs to them, as law-abiding citizens, they are waiting for clearance from the Police before they go to work on the land. He pointed out that the Country has a constitution which is supreme to all laws in the land, and is also operating under the rule of law. �We are trusting in God, and also have confidence in the law enforcement services. Once we have acquired the land legitimately, we should and will have access to it; we will not lose it because some squatters somewhere want to take the land�, Hhe stressed. It will be recalled a scuffle ensued last week at Avenor when workers contracted by the Word Miracle Church International to work on its land were attacked by a group believed to be land guards to prevent the church from developing its acquired land.