Gov’t to retrieve encroached state lands in Prampram
Mr. Martin Adjei-Korsah, Deputy Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development in collaboration with the Ningo-Prampram District Assembly has officially initiated the process to retrieve encroached state lands within the district.
The Department of Community Development Vocational and Technical Institute Prampram lands had been encroached by private individuals.
The Deputy Minister told the Ghana News Agency during a tour of the encroached portion of the school’s lands that reports reaching the Ministry indicated that there had been encroachment, and the ministry had to move together with the Assembly with officers of the school to ascertain things.
“And indeed, we have seen it, structures right in the middle of the park of the school, people built haphazardly at separate locations within the space of the school. This is illegality they cannot stand,” he said.
Mr. Adjei-Korsah said it was the duty of the state to protect the land because the Government acquired it for a purpose.
“The vast land was acquired for future expansion purposes, there should be land for improved infrastructures, as they move around all that space had been taken over by individuals illegally for private development,” he said.
The Deputy Minister said the school had shown documents which means there had been a series of court actions embarked on by the Assembly in efforts to stop the encroachers.
“You cannot take government land, state property is state property, it does not matter how many years you have had it when the day of accountability comes you have to give way so that the government who is the rightful owner proceeds on the intended purpose for that reserved land,” he said.
The Deputy Minister said as part of the measures to protect the lands, a fence would be constructed around the school not only for protecting the lands but for the safety of the students.
Mr Al-Latif Amanor, the Ningo-Prampram District Chief Executive said the encroachment of the land was one of the challenges they were confronted with when they took office.
Mr Amanor said the traditional council had agreed to support the Assembly do away with the intruders, squatters, and illegal settlers on the land.
He said the illegal structures as well as structures on waterways would be demolished.