Dep. Minister moves to reclaim stolen gov’t lands

The quest by the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development to reclaim Government lands illegally taken over by private developers has gained the support of some Chiefs and Traditional leaders in the Greater Accra Region.

Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, a Deputy Minister at the Ministry, is currently on a tour of the Western, Central and Greater Accra Regions where it has come to light that the size of Government lands illegally taken over by private developers is alarming and in many instances has been an obstacle to developmental projects.

When Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah  got to Medie in the Greater Accra Region for instance, it came to light that Government owned lands that measures  368 acres is size have been taken over by private developers, who have only left behind some  2 acres.

One such private developer had even  fenced  some 50 plots of  the said Government lands all to himself.

The narrative was not different at Prampram where the Chiefs and Traditional leaders pleaded with  the Nana Akufo-Addo led Government to  act with a sense of urgency in reclaiming the encroached lands.

The  traditional leaders even  volunteered to go round their jurisdiction with the Deputy Minister and his entourage to see the encroached areas and also pleaded strongly that government acts to stop the menace.

Meanwhile Municipal Metropolitan and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in whose jurisdiction such encroachments are taking place have been charged  by the Ministry to stop any development from being done immediately by the Ministry.

The Deputy Minister, Adjei-Mensah Korsah  warned that any and every private construction, be it temporal or permanent, on Government lands in any part of the country would be demolished completely and flattened in the coming weeks.

Encroachers and occupants of such buildings illegally erected on State lands would only be given quit notices ahead on the demolition to be done without fear or favour, affection or ill-will, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah noted.

Some of such notices have already been served and the respective MMDAs that have such unlawfully occupied State lands is lacing boots to commence demolition operations

“People have become so emboldened to take over State property at will. We can’t allow that and those guilty of this must be prepared to face it”, the Deputy Minister noted.

The Deputy Minister  served notice that the Ministry would employ all means possible to reclaim back all stolen lands that belongs to Government as soon as possible for the institutions to be able to do their work.

He lamented over the growing penchant for illegal takeover of designated lands for Government organizations for private use.

The Deputy Minister said the illegality is overly alarming and has vowed to reclaim all encroached lands belonging to Agencies under his ministry, mainly the Parks and Gardens and Community and Vocational Institutes

He expressed shock that the respective MMDAs in whose geographic areas these illegal encroachments are being perpetrated have allowed it to continue unabated.

Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah further indicated that the Sector Minister, Hon. Dan Botwe takes a very serious view of this phenomenon and has vowed the trend shall be reversed with a sense of urgency.