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Some aggrieved land and property owners at Mempeasem in East Legon say the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has failed in its justification of the demolition of their properties on April 27, 2021, under the aim of halting encroachment on state lands.

The landlords in at a press conference following the demolition described it as illegal and called on the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources and the Minister for National Security to confirm or deny their role in the exercise which they say has led to the destruction of properties collectively worth Ghc2 million.

According to the victims, persons who carried out the exercise contrary to showing a valid permit to undertake the demolition only mentioned the names of the Ministers as having sanctioned the exercise.

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in a press release dated April 30, 2021, responded to the victims saying “for the avoidance of doubt, however, the land in contention, measuring an approximate area of 132 acres is a state land acquired by executive instrument 16 (2009) as the site for Accra Training College.”

“Over time, the land had suffered encroachment presumably from members of the group earlier mentioned. The exercise conducted therefore on 26th April 2021 was primarily to halt further encroachment”, the press statement read.

But responding to the Ministry, the Land and Property Owners of East Legon Mempeasem catchment area say the ministry’s justification raises further questions whose answers confirm their legitimacy as legal owners of the lands where the demolitions took place.

In the exercise, they question how they could possibly be described as encroachers when the Lands Commission which is under the direct auspices of the Ministry has over the years issued valid documents to some of the affected owners including valid Land Titles.

“Who gave the documents from the Lands Commission to these Landlords? To the best of Professor Patrick’s knowledge, are these the right procedures for taking state properties? Were they sleeping when the landlords acquired lands documents from the lands commission and since when did they realize that the lands belong to the state? Why did the lands allow citizens to build on the said lands for the last 20 years?”, they ask.

In further justification of their case as legal owners wrongly targeted, the owners argue that the Accra Training College to the best of their knowledge has secured its lands with a fence wall which makes the Ministry’s argument of encroachment on the school’s lands impossible.

The land and property owners state that the actions of the Lands Commission in the matter implicate the Commission in the high number of land litigation cases across the country.

“Come again, because if you can give out valid land documents and make a U-turn then we are in trouble in this country and your institution is greatly part of land litigations being recorded across the country. Because by such activities you aid criminals and the double sale of lands”.

The affected owners of the demolition exercise which they described as illegal, thus reiterate that they will, by all means, legally ensure that their legally acquired lands are not taken from them under the guise of protecting state lands.