The chiefs, elders and youth of the Nii Dodoo Clottey Family of Pokuase in the Ga West Municipality have appealed to the Government, to revert the idling piece of land called Agric Land to the family.
“Now, since the purpose for which it was acquired was abandoned, a large portion of it has been lying idle for about 70 years now.
“As a family, we deem it proper that in such cases, the land must be reverted to the allodial owners, the Nii Dodoo Clottey Family of Pokuase, and for this reason, the family has applied to the Lands Commission for the regularization of same,” Mr Albert Amponsah Dodoo, Principal Secretary and Family Elder, said in Pokuase.
Leading a press conference, attended by elders, youth and some members of the community at the Pokuase Palace, Mr Dodoo traced the history of the acquisition of the land, which he said was done by the then Government of the Gold Coast in the late 1940s and measured 532.47 acres.
He indicated however that an agricultural project, which involved the rearing if pigs, could not “come on due to the destructive effects of tsetseflies in the area.
And a “small portion of the land was however allocated to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for plant and animal research, so the place came to be known as “Agric Land.”
The Dodoo Clottey Family said that in its journey to regularise its land, the Abola Piam Family, a division of the Ga Traditional Council, ”is trying seriously to lay claim to Agric Land”
It also fingered some Government elements allegedly from the Presidency and Police Headquarters trying to lay claim to the land.
The Family announced that it had established Nii Dodoo Clottey Family Lands Trust, mandated to act on behalf of the family in all land and land related issues.
“The trust also has identifiable and trained task force in uniform, and with ID cards who will sometimes be deployed to specific assignments on the lands,“ Mr Dodoo said, adding that “in view of this, we are using the opportunity to have the public informed that any form of transaction regarding lands at Pokuase and for that matter the Nii Dodoo Clottey Family must be directed towards the Trust which has its offices at the Pokuase Palace.”
NII Ofei Nkwantabisa IV, Dzasetse (Head of Council of Kingmakers) said the Pokuase community is in dire need of a market, a Senior High School and a hospital, and appealed to the Government to use the said portion of land to develop such facilities rather than giving to private individuals.
Nuumo Gbelenfo III, Gua Wulomo (Chief Priest of the Gua Shrine) said the family cited a number of parcels of land belonging to the family that were now named within adjoining communities.
He said the family, for the sake of peace had taken the matter in its strides, but would no longer itself to be deprived of the Agric Lands.
Irate youth, wearing red bands at the neck and wrists, chanted war songs, one of which refrained “Wo hinmei etsu waa” to wit, “we are very bitter angry, and later addressed the media on the said Agric Lands.
Mr Michael Nii Dodoo Snr, the Leader of the Task Force fingered the Municipal Chief Executive for Ga West in fencing the said Agric Lands and having some construction heavy duty machines at the site.
The youth gave a 21-day ultimatum for the machines to be cleared from the place, or they would advise themselves.
Source:GNA
