Land lords and residents at Adenta japan motors have bemoaned the constant harassment and intimidation by Lakeside Company, and its managing Director, Prince Ayiku with the help of some military personnel and land guards.
On Saturday 16th of March 2019, a team of military personnel numbering 8 with two land guards and five construction workers driving a Mercedes Benz Jeep with registration number51GA69 belonging to the Ghana Armed Forces stormed the residence of one Eric Yaw Apenu to seize his two plots of land.
Eric Apenu, who has lived on his two plots of land for 25years and built five separated chamber and hall apartments with porch could not understand why the military and land guards on the orders of Prince Ayiku would come and destroy properties he has legal acquired.
Explaining the facts of the case to a section of the media at a press conference , Mr. Apenu said “on Saturday, 15th March 8 Military personnel armed to the teeth stormed my house with two well-built land guards and eight other construction workers with bulldozer and started destroying everything in my house . The trees, corn mill house and a pile of sand and mixture on my land were all destroyed. I asked them why they were doing this and they said one Prince Ayiku, General Manager of Lake side had sold my land on which I have lived for 25 years to a rich man to develop. I told them it’s my land so they can’t have it or take it by force but they wouldn’t listen. So I went to the Adenta District Police Headquarters to report the matter. Truly, the police patrol team responded and came to confront the Military officers and land guards who had invaded my house and stopped them. That intervention forced the army personnel led by one Mawuli Nuagbe and Gbezo, known accomplices of Prince Ayiku in the area to retreat. They left immediately. You could see that they had no confidence in what they wre doing because it was illegal. They told me they were ordered by prince Ayiku to come for my properties which I have used my life, blood, hard work and prayers to acquire. When the Adenta police left, the workers from lake side tried working on the land again and we called the police again to drag them away. Meanwhile the New Crusading Guide has cited a court injunction placed on all the lands at Adenta being claimed Lakeside Estate
There is an ongoing court case between Nii Adjetey Obour Obour Vrs Agric Cattle Limited aka Lakeside Estates and others Suit No. CM OCC 0206/17 and an interlocutory injunction placed on the entire land in dispute. Where the parties are restrained from making any grants and the use of languages. Lakeside continuous to sell the lands unperturbed.
The suit No: CM 0CC0206/17 Nii Adjettey Obour II vs. Animal Research Agric cattle limited, Anom Yemoh family ,Nungua Stool & Others states that “upon reading the Affidavits of Nii Adjettey Obour II which was filed on 4th September 2017 in support of motion on notice for interlocutory injunction and upon hearing the submission of J.K.Yeboah , counsel for Dogbatey ,counsel for and on behalf of the 4th and 6th defendants /respondents, it is hereby ordered that applicant and respondents and all parties to this suites are restrained from making any grants in the area in dispute. In order words, there shall be no further grants by respondents and all other parties till this courts give further orders. Parties are also further restrained from the use of land guards”.
Despite the injunction, lake side continuous to grab lands from their rightful owners. “This is contempt of court”. In any jurisdiction of competent justice, this Ayiku guy and his Lebanese owners of lake side estate who have come to intimidate as on our own land would have been prosecuted for contempt of court and sent to jail but this is not happening because of corruption in our judicial system. Mr. Apenu stated.
When Contacted on phone by our reporter Sebastien Coffie for his side of the story, Prince Ayiku, General Manager of Lakeside estates denied ever authorizing military men and land guards to the residence of Eric Apenu “ I am not aware of what you are talking about. I don’t know anything about soldiers invading somebody’s house or land. I have not authorized anybody to do anything of a sort.” He stated in the interview.