The Chief Director of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Professor Patrick Agbesinyale, has refuted claims that he had said that government engages the services of land guards to assist in reclaiming encroached lands.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, Prof. Agbesinyale denied the attributions.
He insisted that he never said the government engages the services of land guards to reclaim encroached lands.
“I think I take exception to that reportage. I think land guard, unfortunately, is a terminology that all of us do not want to be associated with, at least we know what land guards are, they are illegal entities that operate and engage in all forms of criminal activities, I can’t imagine saying government uses land guards,” he explained.
The Chief Director added that “We cannot attribute land guards to our respectable security agencies, it’s unfair and I personally take a very strong exception to that, because I never mentioned land guard in my submission to the committee, I never,” he concluded.
The Ministry and three of its agencies led by a Deputy Minister, Benito Owusu-Bio, on behalf of the sector Minister, appeared before the PAC to explain some infractions that were recorded by the Auditor General for the year 2020.
The Agencies are Lands & Forestry Commissions, as well as the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands.
Background
On Monday, July 17, some Minority MPs on the Lands and Forestry Committee of Parliament accused the government of engaging the services of land guards for the retrieval and protection of government lands.
The Minority members made the allegation based on statements allegedly made by the Chief Director of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Professor Patrick Agbesinyale, during a meeting with the Committee.
According to a leaked tape gone viral on social media, a male voice said to be that of Professor Patrick Agbesinyale accused the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service of being in alliance with a particular land guard.
In view of this, the Deputy Ranking Member on the Lands and Forestry Committee of Parliament, Alhassan Suhuyini, lamented the lack of commitment on the part of the government to combat land guard activities.
“The other shocking revelation according to the Chief Director is that even the Ghana Armed Forces and the Police use this same land guard to protect their lands. So, if the military and the police cannot protect their own lands and have to resort to the use of a land guard, then what will be the fate of the common Ghanaian who wants to acquire land and is faced with land guards?” he quizzed.
Already, the government and the two state security agencies have denied claims of any involvement with land guards in their quest to reclaim portions of encroached lands by illegal squatters.