Some residents of Nsawam in the Eastern Region have been demonstrating against former first lady Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings and managers of KOANS Estate Ltd.
The protestors are against the former first lady’s alleged acquisition of a land around the Nsawam Cannery which is being released to KOANS Estates.
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Led by the chiefs of Adoagyiri, Ntoaso, Owuraku and Akwamu, the protestors are demanding that government stops Mrs Agyemang-Rawlings from unlawfully taking over the lands.
The four towns have threatened to use every means to protect their properties if the government refuses to take action.
“We have been notified by one KOANS Estate that the lands in the settlement which exceeds 800 acres have been handed over to them by Nana Konadu to develop estates and we have therefore been served notice to get out of the place or come and negotiate with KOANS so that they will permit us to even stay where we are.
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“Our ancestors and forefathers have lived on the land for more than 200 years and we have settled there over this period and nothing like that has happened to us,” one of the chiefs told Joy News’ Maxwell Kudekor.
According to the protestors, KOANS Estate Ltd acting on behalf of Caridem Development Company Ltd has deployed land guards to terrorize them to vacate their properties.
According to them, the Supreme Military Council compulsorily acquired their lands by Executive instrument E.I. 31 State Lands (Nsawam – Site for Pineapple Production) in 1977 with an approximate area of 635.20 acres at Nsawam in the Eastern Region.
“The law requires that if you want to use a land for anything, you go into consultations and properly settle those who are there, but nothing of that sort has happened,” the chief said.
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He further claimed that the former first lady illegally connived with officials at the Lands Commission to acquire the land and are forcefully using land guards to move the occupants out of the place.
“We are demanding from government and from those who think they have acquired the land to desist from taking the actions they intend to undertake.
“We will ensure that the blood that our forefathers have shed and the energy they’ve put in to put this settlement together are not destroyed just by some people’s desire. We shall not allow ourselves to be wiped out,” they declared.