… Land guards, police storm Dansoman

Residents and persons who were around Dansoman Asore Dainhu, an Accra suburb, on Monday morning could not help but hoot in anger at a team of fully armed and uniformed men from the Ghana Police Service that shamelessly teamed up with dangerously armed land guards to seize a parcel of land in the area.

The display of ammunition on the part of the police team and reckless manner with which the land guards rode and displayed on their motorbikes whiles the police gave them protection was what drew the public condemnation and Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa became the subject on the lips of onlookers and residents as they accused him of being behind the show of power.

On Monday morning, some of the land guards, armed with pistols, machetes and sticks were seen working hand in hand and chatting heartily and having breakfast with some of the policemen who were in a patrol jeep with registration number Gp2996.

According to the residents, Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa intends using the land to build a fuel station and supermarket. They alleged that until recently, the deputy minister was a regular face at the site but now uses a certain wealthy Berchie Achamfour as a camouflage.

What makes the matter rather worrying is that the land, a little over two plots, is under litigation between a certain Berchie Achamfour (defendant) who described himself as the Chief Executive of Shalom Oil Ghana Limited and one old lawyer by name Mr. Oku (plaintiff) believed to be in his 80's and the case has been adjourned to November but the police, obviously acting on 'order from above', is giving protection to the defendant to work on the land and whiles the court has not granted any such order.

The land guards usually parade the plot to protect the workers and beat up any person who show up to question or challenge the workers on what rights they have to work on the land.

Reports say after a couple of clashes between the land guards and other persons who insist the workers have no right to work on the land, “the powers that be” brought in the Ghana Police service to arrest and put the fear of God in persons who show up their face to challenge the workers.

Though the Odorkor Police Station has jurisdiction over the area, the special police force was drawn straight from the National Police Headquarters and not even the Dansoman Police Station.

Meanwhile, Mr. Okudjeto Ablakwa as expected is denying any involvement and the Ghana Police Service has also not been able to explain why it is giving protection to armed land guards to work on a private land that is under litigation before the courts when the courts have not given the service any such order.

Reports say the joint Police/Land guard’s squad would continue their operation Friday morning.