Editorial Comments by King Amoah, Editor In Chief.
Ghana, once lauded as a beacon of law, order, and discipline now appears to be losing its way.
A disturbing trend of injustice,often shielded by political connections and threatens the very fabric of peace, unity, freedom and national development.
While our judiciary strives for fairness and the protection of all Ghanaians the insidious influence of political affiliation is allowing brazen acts of illegality to go unpunished
Thus to foster a climate where harmony is sacrificed on the altar of impunity.
Nowhere is this alarming reality more starkly illustrated than in Asantekrom a town nestled within the Nsawam Adoagyiri Municipality of the Eastern Region.
Here an estate developer operating under the name Koans Buildings And Solutions Ltd is stand accused of forcibly seizing a colossal 4,000 acres of land belonging to the community.
The motive? A chilling assertion allegedly made by the developer himself is that his party the National Democratic Congress (NDC) being in power that grants him immunity to occupy the land without any challenge.
To cement this deceptive claim the developer has reportedly deployed a contingent of ruthless landguards who are intimidating and violently resisting anyone who dares to challenge his unlawful activities.
The sheer audacity of this act is compounded by the fact that the developer, according to reliable reports has sought no authorization from the true custodians of the land – the Chief of Asantekrom, Nana Baffour Asante and his elders.
The community’s efforts to seek redress have been met with a frustrating walls of officials inaction.
Nana Baffour Asante and his elders have filed multiple police reports and held press conferences, desperately trying to draw the attention of authorities.
A petition to President Mahama about four months ago even yielded a presidential directive instructing the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to intervene.
Yet four months on, that directive has seemingly been treated with contempt.
In the intervening period the estate developer continues his destructive rampage thereby razing cocoa farms, other cash and food crops and demolitions of existing building structures – all without a shred of compensation for the rightful owners.
This issue raises critical and urgent questions that demand immediate answers:
What has the Ghana Police Service done since reports were filed against the estate developer?
Why is this perplexing silence and apparent inaction as landguards invade and desecrate Asantekrom’s lawful lands?
Are we to wait for a bloody war before the law enforcement decides to intervene?
Who or what person, authorized this Estate developer to operate or trespass on land that demonstrably does not belong to him?
What exactly are the functions of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, and what has become of the President’s explicit directive?
Has the sector Minister made any effort to ascertain the progress on President Mahama’s petition?
The poignant dilemma facing Nana Baffour Asante and his people is deeply troubling.
While the Chief is seeks lawful means to reclaim his land, one must also ask – should Nana Baffour Asante, out of desperation resort to violence would he then be arrested by the very authorities who have ignored his pleas for justice?
The implication currently hanging heavy over Asantekrom is that the estate developer is “untouchable” because his government is in power.
We unequivocally condemn this “My government is in power” statement as senseless, childish, and utterly repugnant.
Ghana is a unitary state, not a patchwork of political fiefdoms of either the Ndc or Npp
Our lands belong to the people, not to the political parties to be parceled out as spoils of victory.
Such egregious displays of impunity fueled by political warmongering, must be halted with immediate effect.
The estate developer, regardless of his political affiliation is not above the laws of Ghana.
We humbly appeal to President Mahama, through the appropriate law enforcement agencies, to ensure the immediate arrest and prosecution of this developer before a bloody conflict erupts in Asantekrom.
A petition for presidential action will be forwarded and we pledge to follow this case with an eagle eye until full justice is delivered to the resilient of the innocent people of Asantekrom.
The rule of law must prevail and the worth of our nation growth be restored.
Machines used by the estate developer to destro properties at Asantekrom attacked ⅘
