Following the demolition of some structures under construction near the Dodowa Forest on Friday, August 9, the chief of Anum-Asamankese and principal member of the Odoi Kese family at Obosomase, Osabarimah Essah Kwasi Mensah Bediako III has descended heavily on the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Daniel Titus-Glover.
Osabarimah Essah Kwasi Mensah Bediako III described some actions of Mr. Titus-Glover as land guard activities.
He said the family at Obosomase and other private investors are dismayed by the actions of the minister, leading a joint military and police team to demolish some family and private properties at Dodowa without recourse to the laws of Ghana.
Osabarima Essah Bediako indicated that this reckless disregard of the law must not be tolerated in a civilized country like Ghana.
He said, a combined team of Police and Military over the weekend demolished a fence wall protecting a four-acre land and took away about 5 tons of iron rods, Poly tanks, and thousands of cement blocks packed in the yard away.
He added that, about two hundred cattle grazing on the four-acre land cannot be found after the demolition.
Osabarimah Essah Kwesi Bediako claims the land in question does not form part of the Dodowa forest and is not a state land either.
According to him, the Odoi Kese family owns most of the lands at Dodowa and has documentation, including a court declaration to that effect.
He said the Greater Accra Regional Minister Mr. Titus-Glover’s declaration of their property as a security zone by word of mouth and subsequent destruction of their private property is unlawful and despicable under a democratic regime and in a country run by the rule of law.
Osabarima Essah Bediako hinted that Mr Titus Glover held a press conference two days before the demolition, requesting parties with interest in lands at the Dodowa enclave to produce documents protecting their interest in the land.
He added that, just as the family decided to present their documents to the Minister, he ordered a joint military and police team to demolish property on a family land duly given to a private company for development without a court order.
Osabarima Essah Bediako lll called on the government to restore the damage caused immediately or face them in the law court.
He said the debate over the said land close to the Dodowa forest is a non-starter since a simple search at the Lands Commission will reveal the true owners of the property.
The disgruntled chief says the rising tension could have been avoided had the minister acted within the law after declaring the Dodowa and Katamanso Pinkwai forests security zones by word of mouth.
Source: Maxwell Kudekor
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