The Chief and elders of Mpoase have called on the government to call the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Ablekuma, George Cyril Bray, to order on his encroachment of the land of the Ebenezer Senior High School for the execution of the Agenda 111 project.
The Mpoase Mantse, Nii Adote Din Barima I, who made the call at a press conference in Accra, described the move by the MCE as a mark of “disrespect, arrogance, show of political power, and an act without any recourse to the chief and elders of Mpoase”.
The Mpoase Mantse said the land was released and earmarked for the purposes of the school’s development saying that, “the school was originally sited on a 90 acre plot of land, however the public had encroached on 45 plots , so that could not justify the need for another plot for the hospital project, particularly on the school’s compound without recourse to the school.”
He, therefore, indicated that if the land was not being used for the intended purpose, it must be reverted to the original owners as established by law.
Observation
The Mpoase Mantse said on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, the MCE started clearing the land and had deployed about 20 land guards to the site, a situation which had made the elders of Mpoase unhappy.
He,therefore, cautioned the MCE to stop work immediately as his action was a breach of the law.
Recount
Highlighting what had transpired on the ground, he said in 2021, the MCE informed the board of governors of the school about his intention to use part of the school’s land for a project which the board outrightly rejected.
Apology
The Mpoase Mantse, therefore, demanded the MCE to apologise to the elders of Mpoase and the authorities of the school for his actions over the past few days.
“We don’t want any confrontation, If this humble request fails, then we have no option than to advise ourselves, we do not want to have recourse to the law.
But, of course, we will have to consult our elders and the law and see what options are open to us before we advise ourselves in terms of what action to take,” he said.
He said it was in his interest that a hospital was built for his people, “it is a good thing and so as MCE, I expect him to use the proper channel if he needs land to build a hospital.”
The Mpoase Mantse, therefore, gave the assurance that the chiefs and elders of Mpoase were committed to ensure that the future prospects of the school were guarded and preserved.
Background
The Ebenezer Senior High School is one of the oldest second cycle institutions in the country established over 80 years ago.
The school is struggling with infrastructure deficit because of the ever-increasing numbers in enrolment in recent times.
An Agenda 111 hospital project meant for the community is said to have been earmarked to be sited on the school’s walled premises.
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