- Afotey Agbo Fingered For Aiding Kpone People To Take Over Tema Lands
?Residents of Saasabi, Adengon, Kubekrom and Zenu, all villages under the Tema Division have staged a demonstration against what they described as attempts by some officials of the Lands Commission and Lands Title Registry to claim their parcels of land away from them.
The angry residents who were cladded in red arm bands and headgears also expressed their grave disappointment in the Member of Kpone Katamanso, Hon. Nii Afotey Agbo who hails from the community, Saasabi, for aiding activities that are targeted at taking over what rightfully belong to them and rather making it the property of the people of Kpone.
The unfortunate situation has caused the two sides which were hitherto living in peace, becoming rivals.
Addressing the media during their demonstration, the Secretary to the Tema Divisional Chiefs Council Mr. Armah Ashiboye stated that some elements in Kpone and clandestinely taking over their lands even though issues about demarcation of lands between Tema and Kpone have been settled at the Supreme Court which clearly stated where their land end.
Mr. Armah Ashiboye enumerated that there was a court case involving the Tema Mantse Nii Adjei Kraku I and Kpone Mantse Nii Tetteh Otoo I in 1887, a case which ended up with a judgement from the High Court declaring the Tema Mantse custodian of the said lands which were at the time demarcated and marked on trees, hills.
He also explained that in 2006, the Saasabi Chief Nii Ashitey Saasabi II sued a group of people from Oyibi a Nungua Village over their land. He indicated that during that court proceeding, evidence given led to the fact that the land in question belongs to the people of Tema Saasabi and subsequent judgement was given in Nii Ashitey Saasabi?s favour.
The Secretary to the Council indicated that not too long after that judgement which sought to settle the problem of demarcating, the MP for Kpong-Katamanso Nii. Laryea Afotey Agbo has been aiding the people of Kpong and Apolonia to dispossess the people of Saasabi off their landed property, with the claim that the said land had been registered in the name of Kpone.
This claim, Mr. Armah Ashiboye revealed was ?fraudulent.? According to him, in a case of Nii Iddrisu Tettey Mansro and 2 other plaintiffs vrs. Kpone Traditional Council and 4 others in Suit No. SOL 52/11, the plaintiffs established that the document and certificate brought by the Kpone Traditional Council TD 4015 was based on fraud.
?There was an existing Tema Land which has been already registered by deed registry at Lands Commission to Tetteh Bodzwa and Emmanuel Adams Bodzwa of Kubekom-Tema with a registered No. 3298, 1975 and plotted as AC 6824A/74.There was also another registered land at Kubekrom in the name of Jantah Okoe Odae family with a land Title registered No. TD 2552 Vol. 020, Folio 146 by Land Tittle Registry.?
However, he indicated that the conduct of the MP in defending the people of Kpone as regards the legitimacy of ownership of the said land showed clearly that he is the brain behind all attacks on the people of Saasabe to ensure that the people of Kpone and Apolonia take over the Tema Villages lands.
?As we speak, our attention has been drawn to a project currently ongoing between these elements and a South African Company and Local Company (Apolonia Development Company), and this project is being undertaken on the Saasabi and Adigon Stool Lands,? he revealed.
He also decried the invading of land guards who have also taken advantage of the volatile situation in the area and are being aided by the people of Kpone and Apolonia to use weapons including guns to intimidate Saasabe and Tema villages? people from entering onto their land. These land guards, according to him are also demarcating the Tema lands to individuals and developers who are developing the land in great speed.
The angry residents indicated that they have on several occasions made numerous calls on the security agencies and the Lands Commission to look into the matter and find amicable solutions but their calls have fallen on deaf ears.
In effect, they stressed that their silence does not mean they are weak, but that the time has come for them to protect themselves and their property since the state security cannot do it.
They however called on the Lands Commission and the Ministry of Lands to effect the demarcation of the boundary between Tema and Kpone as shown on the national archives.
