Reliable information received form the Lands Commission has indicated that, the Commission has blocked Makers Chapel/Church which is alleged to have paid a hooping sum of about 8 million dollars for 10 acres of the government acquired Atomic Energy land it acquired from a contractor, BerchieAkyemfuo.
According to sources, the Estates Developer, BerchieAkyemfuo was contracted to construct Barracks for the Ghana Police Service on portions of the Atomic Energy Lands but he has virtually sold large track of the demarcated lands to defray cost of the construction of the Barracks.
It has been established that the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission land has been seriously encroached without the involvement of the rightful owners, whiles others were also sold out by some family members of Kwabenya.
This situation has gradually caused the springing up of housing projects around the area with virtually all the lands taken away.
Although the Queen mother, NaaKorkoiDugbatey II had petition government for the release of the lands to the allodia owners, her petition has not been given attention and portions which must go to her has not yet been shown.
In 2019 when an Estate developer, BerchieAkyemfuo was sighted on the land leasing out portions of the government acquired lands to some prospective developers including the Makers Chapel/Church who is alleged to have paid a hooping sum of about 8 million dollars for 10 acres of the land alleged to have been acquired from the contractor, BerchieAkyemfuo.
Some government officials, private investors and developers also claimed to have paid huge sums of monies for portions of the land they also claimed to have purchased from the same BerchieAkyemfuo.
Another popular Church headed by Reverend Obofour currently occupied a portion of about 10 acres or more of the same Ghana Atomic Energy Commission land was also alleged to have been purchased from BerchieAkyemfuo at the cost of 8 million dollars.
It has emerged that the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo awarded the construction of a Barracks for the Ghana Police Service with the government acquired lands for the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission at Kwabenya.
Meanwhile, during a search at the Lands Commission by Makers Chapel managers, it became clear that the portions of the land they bought from the contractor falls within what government had released to the allodia owners.
This development is preventing Makers Chapel from developing the land and as result is making frantic efforts to reclaim the money paid for the purchase from the said contractor.
Interestingly, speaking to the Contractor, BerchieAkyemfuo he revealed that he has been awarded the contract by the President to construct several facilities for the Ghana Police Service with the government Acquired lands of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission at Kwabenya.
BerchieAkyemfuo who disclosed this in a telephone interview revealed that he was awarded the contract by the government through the Director of Estate of the Ghana Police Service on which a sword cutting commissioning ceremony was held in March 2020 by the Ghana Police Hierarchy but not His Excellency the President.
This information has so far called for an immediate petition to His Excellency the First Gentleman of the State by the Kwabenya Queen Mother.
Meanwhile, source close to the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission Administration who lamented bitterly of being cheated over deal on the issue revealed that, he was part of the group that called for the project and concede the idea to release and sell portions of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission land to pay for the services of the said contractor, on condition that the contractor was going to construct a huge fence wall around the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission facility to protect portions of the land that has not yet been encroached.
However, the contractor, Berchie has taken undue advantage of selling the lands to indiscriminately sell them without sorting people who mooted that idea out.
It is interesting to note that even though the Ghana Police Service project is near completion and about 70 percent complete, as according to BerchieAkyemfuo himself, he is still selling portions of the land to individual prospective developers just behind the police barracks he claimed to have constructed for the police Administration.
He has also taken large portion of the same Ghana Atomic Energy Commission land that stretches to Naaman, another Community within the Kwabenya.
One wonders if the Project was duly taken through due process, and who were some of the competitive bidders for the project.
Also, questions are being asked at to whether the cost for the project did go through parliamentary approval to enhance the services of the Ghana Police Service.
As at now information trickling in to the office of the Kwabenya Queen mother indicate that some government officials are part of the team to raid all the government acquired lands but of which portions was released to the land owners of Kwabenya and still make it look like all is government land.
Now with the picture being portrayed and painted that said contracted working of the Atomic land BerchieAkyemfuo is developing a project on behalf of government for the police, his negative action and practices of unlawful sale of the Atomic Energy land to private developers and investors which could be a criminal offence seem not to be looked at all by any police officer even with enough evidence to prove a case against BerchieAkyemfuo over the act of indiscriminate selling of land to private developers as well as he continuous action of carrying out unlawful demolition without any Court Order.
It could be recalled that in 1963 the then President of the Republic of Ghana ,Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah under the Executive instrument 75/ 1963 acquired 2000 acres of the Kwabenya lands from the family to be used for the Establishment of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission.
This brought the establishment of a reactor for the manufacturing of an Atomic Energy facility in the Area of Kwabenya putting the lives of the people in the area into danger should they get closer to the reactor, with several warning signals and signs around the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission facility to stay away from the reactor.
But immediately after the overthrow of the President Kwame Nkrumah the reactor was moved out of the Atomic Energy Commission facility.
The land bearing the facility was later sighted by government’s grantors as being used for other projects such as the cultivation of palm plantations and other crops and not for the purpose of which it was acquired.
This situation immediately called for government attention to release the land back to its owners since it could no longer serve the purpose of which it was acquired.
In 2008 the President John AgyekumeKufour was petitioned by the Queen mother of Kwabenya, NaaKorkoiDugbatey II and her elders, to release portions of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission land for the people of the area to develop.
President John AgyekumeKufour through cabinet directive ordered for the release of 400 acres of the land through the Minister for Lands, forestry and Mines Honourable Esther ObengDapaah.
But even though a government white paper was issued and published in the National dailies, till date no one could tell exactly which portions of the government acquired lands was released to the Queen mother and her elders.
