A video recording has revealed how members of Mankata’s family of Panpanso Krokese in the Apedwe Traditional Area of the Eastern Region confessing glaringly in public that they never sold a total of hundred (100) acres of land at Odumase popularly known as called Panpanso to Deputy Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Mrs. Akua Afriyie or to any individual land developer.
The land located at Panpansso has become a legal contention between the Mankatta’s family on one hand and Nana Amon Kwame and Kwasi Amoani Oyoko Royal families on the other hand.
Factually, there are even documentary evidence which clearly shows that that portion of the100 acres of land the Ghana’s Deputy Ambassador to China fraudulently bought or acquired from the Mankata family has been sold already by the Oyoko family to one Ghanaian local investor called China Man.
According to the head of Mankata family, Abusuapanin Samuel Acquah Mankatta, who led some delegation including Deputy Ghana’s Ambassador to China to the said land in question who were captured in the video,they had not sold 100 acres of lands to Mrs Afriyie who doubles as the former Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuman North Constituency at Panpanso as she was currently making the ownership claim for.
The confession of Abusuapanin Samuel Acquah Mankata which was made in a video dated Friday January 6, 2023 on the land captured the scene when Mrs. Afriyie was heard speaking on top of her voice in the video explaining to the Akyem Abuakwa Land Taskforce members of Kyebi on how she got the land in the area.
It has emerged that the misunderstanding arose when Mrs Afriyie went on the land together with her workers and her husband to work on Friday January 6, 2023.
According to information available, when she went on the land, the Akyem Abuakwa Land Taskforce came to the land to question her about the legal and lawful ownership and possession of the said land.
The Akyem Abuakwa Land Taskforce was seen in the video asking Mrs. Afriyie about who sold the land situated at Panpanso to her and that the development has generated into a heated argument.
This situation has informed the decision of Mrs. Afriyie to call on the members of the Mankatta’s family to come to testify on her behalf that they sold the100 acres of land to her (Mrs Akua Afriyie).
It therefore emerged that when the members of the Mankatta’s family, led by their Head of family Abusuapanin Samuel Acquah Mankatta came to the land, he was heard in the video confessing that the Mankata family has not sold a total of100 acres of land to Mrs Afriyie.
The public confession of the head of the Mankata’s family in the video which goes viral on local and international social media platforms has attested to the fact that Mrs Afriyie has no land at Panpansso.
With the stated video evidence, it is logical to conclude that Mankata family, led by their own linguist, Okyeame Otibu, who held a press conference on Monday February 27, 2023 to indicate strongly that the Deputy Ambassador to China acquired the land genuinely from them as allodial owners, is false.
“We are saying that these statements made and continued to be made by Mankata Family, should not be taken serious at all by the general public,” Mr William Asante Agyekum Acquah told journalists in Accra on Saturday March 4, 2023.
Mr. Asante stressed the need for the general public to disregard old age cooked story attributed to the members of Mankata’s family that the various documentary evidence tendering of the contention of Mankata’s family on one hand and Nana Amon Kwame and Kwasi Amoani Oyoko Royal families in connection to the ownership of the land at Panpanso are fake, saying that they are using the legal processes to take their land back from the Mankata family.
“We are the owners of the land situated at Odumase, (commonly called Panpanso) which the members of Mankata’s family are fraudulently selling to innocent people and that all the documents and court judgements we have over the land are genuine,” Mr Asante stressed.
According to him, apart from the 1909, 1915, 1922, 1924 and 1926 judgements which went in favour of the Oyoko family, the Mankata family in 1913 made a document signed by the then Okyehene, Osagyefo (Sir) Ofori Atta1, Apedwahene Nana Kwarafa, Yaw Ntikora and all those who bought land from them signed that document and in the document, it was stated that at the expiry date of 99 years the land reverts back to the rightful owners. “I want to ask, who are the rightful owners?” he asked.
“It ought to be noted that my great grandfather knowing very well that the land belonged to him never signed the stated document and took the case to Court in 1920 and won,” Mr. Asante added.
“If Mankata has a land there, I don’t dispute that, but the 5,068 acres belong to us and we are not ready to let go. We will fight till the last drop of our blood to reclaim every single portion that the Mankatta family took and sold to other people,” he indicated.
Mr Asante noted that the late Edward Asomaning Mankatta and his brother Ishmael Asomaning Mankatta, the current chief, came to settle on the land at Panpanso and took advantage to fraudulently register the vast lands of Nana Amon Kwame and Kwasi Amoani Oyoko Royal families together with other lands of Akyeam Abuakwa as well as the fourteen (14) acres of land given to him by the late chief of Apedwe Traditional Area, Nana Abrokwa.
The historical documentary evidence available indicate that the original Mankata was a hunter and that he engaged in trading as well.
During that time they were cutting timber for canoes at Odumase and that the original Mankata came to settle at Sansemi doing all these sorts of businesses, Mr Asante narrated.
According to him, it has emerged that the original Mankatta entered into a business with Chief of Apedwe Traditional Area in the person of Nana Abrokwa.
Mr. Asante added, that during the course of their businesses, it was stated that Nana Abrokwa was indebted to the original Mankata.
He said since Nana Abrokwa could not afford to pay the money, he [Nana Abrokwa] said he would pay his debt with piece of land that he said was located at Panpanso Krokese.
Tendering documentary evidence to support his claims,’ Mr Asante noted: “In fact Nana Abrokwa gave original Mankata fourteen (14) acres of land at Panpanso Krokese and that 14 acres of land have no boundary with Nana Amon Kwame and Kwasi Amoani Oyoko Royal families at Odumase /Kojo Fosu’s land and or at all.
“He averred those members of Mankata family deceitfully used the said concession site plan that includes the land of Nana Amon Kwame and Kwasi Amoani Oyoko Royal families and Akyeam Abuakwa lands and fraudulently registered the lands into their family name without our knowledge in 1988”, stated by Mr. Asante.
He stressed plans are underway to ensure the Lands Commission of Ghana reverse the said the land into the names of the Kwame and Kwasi Amoani Oyoko Royal families.
To this, Mr. Asante sent a word of caution to those who bought land at Panpanso from the Mankata’s family to stay off the land and go for whatever money they paid to the Mankata’s family in respect of the said land.