The queenmother of Kwabenya, Naa Korkoi Dugbatey II, together with some members of the Kwabenya traditional authority are under pressure to refund a whopping Ghc8.9billion which they allegedly made from the illegal sale of some 3 acres of land in the area.
Information gathered indicate that the queenmother and her surrogates allegedly sold the said parcel of land near the Hospital, belonging to the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) to unsuspecting buyers and land developers.
Our checks revealed that the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission released the said parcel of land to the Ga East Municipal Assembly during the COVID-19 period to be used to decongest the Dome-Kwabenya markets since the market at the time was running shifts due to the Covid situation.
However, the released land was allegedly sold to some persons, majority of who erected containers and other structures in their bid to secure their acquired lands.
But Assembly led by its MCE Elizabeth Kaakie Mann, according to information took steps to secure the land hence, begun erecting fence wall around it.
Realizing they could lose the land and their money, the buyers (who have become victims) of the illegal sale of that land are said to be mounting pressure on the queenmother and her elders for their money.
This development escalated and resulted in serious tension amid confrontations and attacks on the leader of the Kwabenya Asafo Group, Shaibu, who is also the queenmother’s surveyor, leading to the burning of her his car.
Information is that, the leader of the Asafo Group was alleged to be given Ghc1.1 billion from the total Ghc8.9billion accrued from the sale of the land by the queenmother to settle his boys (members of the Asafo Group) which he (Shaibu) failed to do.
Aggrieved members of the Asafo Group on one hand caught up with Shaibu in a heated arguments leading to the burning of his car and the land buyers on the other hand, chasing the queenmother for their money after realizing following a search they conducted at the Lands Commission that the said land belongs to the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission.
Meanwhile, in a face-saving endeavour, the Kwabenya traditional authority which many believe is becoming a ‘puppet’ of the queenmother decided to turn its gun on the MCE, Elizabeth Kaakie Mann, accusing her of exchanging 4,000 pieces of blocks with plots for land within the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission GAEC) enclave.
Meanwhile, speaking to the MCE, she admitted that the Assembly was given the land by GAEC and that the Assembly decided to cordon off the land by erecting a fence when it became obvious that certain people were encroaching the land.
“It was after we decided to cordon off the place that we realized the land had already been sold to people by the queenmother. People even put containers on the land. Some of these people came to me pleading that the Assembly give them other places to put their containers,” the MCE said.
Elizabeth Kaakie Mann also averred that the unfortunate buyers of the land have carried out search on the said land and the result showed clearly that the land belonged to GAEC and not the queenmother or any member of their traditional authority.
She said, she is not troubled by the threats by the said Traditional Authority of reporting her to the President because she is doing the right thing and would continue to protect the land which has been given to the Assembly by GAEC.
