Damfa Chiefs On Warpath …Cautions Gov’t To Vacate Their Lands

The Chiefs and people of Damfa and the adjoining communities in the La-Nkwantanang Municipality of the Greater Accra Region have urged the government return to the negotiation table with them to hasten the process of releasing their land back to them before they take further action against the government.

The affected communities include Damfa, Kweiman, Otinibi, Amrahea and Oyarifa.

Addressing a press conference in Damfa, the Chief of Damfa, Nii Djanie Tsulu Afutu Brempong lV said the government of Ghana in August 1970 acquired over 3.000 acres of land from the communities for a ranch and a Dairy Farm, but 49 years on, it has not compensated the primary owners of the land.

Though the project is virtually nonfunctional, government has neither reverted the land back to the people, nor paid the compensation due them.

He recalled that few years ago, the government after several petitions from the people, entered into negotiation with them by directing management of Dairy farm to identify a suitable part of the land it can manage for the ranch and return the rest to the people in lieu of compensation, since it lacked the requisite resources to manage the entire acquisition.

According to him, though the final process of the negotiation was done by the parties two weeks ago, police personnel led by the Greater Accra Regional Police Operations Commander, ACP Kwesi Ofori, and some civilians (identified as Clement Djato Ministry of Agriculture, on last Sunday besieged the area with equipment and demolished over hundred houses at various stages of completion.

He said but for timely intervention of a former Member of the Council of State during President Kuffour’s era, there would have been a bloodbath in the area. He therefore asked the government to reactivate the negotiation process as the patience pf the youth in the area is running out.

The Chief of Amrahea, Nii Ashong Kojo lll on his part expressed shock at the incident and implored the youth to exercise restraint as the elders look forward to finalise negotiations with the government.

He also called on the government investigate the activities of ACP Kwesi Ofori and his group over the recent demolitions.