Members of Parliament yesterday? charged the security agencies to spare no efforts in fighting against the menace of land guard and its attendant effects which are threatening human lives and peace in certain parts of Accra.
The legislators who were contributing to a statement? by Member of Parliament for Shai Osudoku, David Tetteh Assumen, on the upsurge of land guards in the Shai Osudoku District observed that women and children were the most affected victims of violent clashes of land guards.
The MPs stressed the need? to take stringent measures to stop the land guards and fake land sellers whose activities are causing loss of lives and destruction of properties.
The law makers also expressed resentments over their? activities in the country, and entreated law enforcement agencies to decend heavily on them.
Hon Assumeng in his statement “called for punitive sanctions? to curb the action of land guards before it degenerates into an uncontrollable state.”
“The nation need a decisive approach to deal with the issue,” he added.
He recounted a recent incident in the Shai Osudoku constituency where land guards attacked some communities resulting to injuries, deaths and destruction of properties and commended the Police for their swift response.
He urged all stakeholders including landowners, estate developers, chiefs as well as queen mothers and all those who engage the services of landguards to dialogue and find lasting solutions to land disputes and the upsurge of land guards.
Contributing to the statement, Mrs Gify Eugenia Kusi, (NPP-Tarkwa Nsuaem) urged government to constitute a committee to trace the history of lands under disputes to know the exact owners of such lands.
This according to her will help identify the real custodians of such lands and? prevent people from buying lands from wrong persons.
She attributed the upsurge of land guards to chieftaincy dispute, and urged the ministry of Chieftaincy to help in resolving all chieftaincy disputes in the country in order to stall the land guard menace.
NDC MP for Chiana/Paga, Mr Abuga Pele, on his part said the upsurge of the operations these landguards should be dealt with comprehensively since it clearly violates the law.
He? stressed the need review the? process in the acquisition of lands? to curb the constant emanating controversy.
In his contribution, MP for Assin Central, Mr Kenndy Agyepong, explained that the root cause of the land guards is the delay in resolving land case in the court, family disputes about who the land belongs to and the collusion of land guard and some security personnel.
He noted that the institution responsible for the registration of lands should also be blamed, since they don?t do any due diligence when registrating the land? .
Ken Ohene Agyapong (NPP Assin Central), blamed civil servants who work with institutions responsible for land administration for the spate of land disputes in the country.
He alleged that some unscrupulous civil servants registered lands to two or more owners and added that such owners employed the services of land guards to protect their lands.
The Assin Central MP urged the government to investigate and punish civil servants who issued two or more certificates on a piece of land and urged security agencies to help curb the menace.
The activities? of Land guards in the country appear invincible. Since their bloody services began, they have ruled? lands, especially the new settlements, with iron fists, remaining largely impervious to the efforts of the police.
Many have fallen to their swords, with others losing money invested in the property which brought them face to face with the red-eyed hoodlums.k
They are ruthless and would press the trigger at the least provocation, with little or no regard for the laws of the land.
Source :Gilbert Ankrah and Richie Osei Asiedu-ISD
