Soldiers Turn Landguards…Unlawfully Demolishing Properties At Berekusu

The chief of Berekuso, Odeefoo Nana Oteng Korankye II

By Our Reporter

Some military officials are been accused by the chief and people of Berekuso in the Eastern region of unlawfully demolishing properties meant for some legitimate land owners in the area.

The people of Berekuso have alleged that the military officers, numbering over hundred were hired by an estate developer not to protect him as an individual but to use the state’s power to use force vested in them and harass people and demolish properties.

Speaking at a news conference at his palace last Tuesday, the chief of the Berekuso, Odeefoo Nana Oteng Korankye II, noted that the military officers have turned themselves into landguards and causing fear and panic to the ordinary people in the area.

The soldiers, according to the Berekusohene, Odeefoo Nana Oteng Korankye II, are on his land in the interest of a private estate developer and one group – Numo Nmashie Family of Teshie.

Odeefoo Nana Oteng Korankye II, who is also Twafohene of the Akuapim Traditional Area, at a brief engagement with the media yesterday in Accra, provided a Supreme Court ruling that the land being encroached upon was a bona fide property of the Berekuso Stool.

 “This same company is fully aware of the Supreme Court ruling instructing the Ghana Police Service to desist from assisting Numo Nmashie Family of Teshie from fraudulently acquiring land, to which they have no right to employ the assistance of the military command (who are not privy to the ruling) to brutalize and destroy property within Abokobi area,” he bitterly lamented.

The Chief is currently so worried because the military are providing security for these aforementioned entities to demolish properties running to millions of Ghana cedis within the catchment area of the encroached land.

Manasseh Resources, the private estate development company which has joined forces with the Numo Nmashie Family of Teshie, he alleged had disrespected the Supreme Court decision and moved to site to demolish people’s properties.

The Chief said he petitioned the Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. General O.B. Akwa, and the Municipal Chief Executive of Abokobi, Janet Tulasi Mensah, about the two entities using the military for their nefarious activities in the area but nothing has been done about it so far.

He indicated that the military are deployed in the area well-armed and even change duties, but his contact with the Defence Minister revealed that the Ghana Armed Forces had no knowledge of the soldiers operating in the area.

“Numo Nmashie Family of Teshie has no land at Berekuso (Abokobi), and can, therefore, not grant same to Manasseh Resource which has contracted some military men as landguards to grab land unlawfully to suit their diabolic agenda”.

“As of now, all necessary efforts are being made to bring [the] criminal activities to the attention of the law courts,” he added.