... for ‘’Affordable Housing Project’’

...As encroachers continue to impede the progress of work

By- Mohammed Saani Ibrahim- The Accra Times

Encroachers’ activities on government acquired lands earmarked for the affordable housing project is negatively affecting the progress of the project. Agu Resources Ghana Limited, a solely Ghanaian owned Company currently preparing a 74.29 acre land at Odumase-Nsakina, near Amansaman in the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, is facing stiff resistance from encroachers who have taken over the said land supposed to be used to construct 10,000 affordable housing units for the low and middle income public sector workers.

This development is causing the Chinese investors who are ready to invest about US$1million in the project, to be looking at the option of withdrawing their investments since the residents, encroachers in particular are not allowing the project to take off thereby causing unnecessary delays in the development of the land. Agu Resources which was granted the said land by the Ministry Water Resources Works and Housing under the Public-Private Partnership Project (PPPP) for that purpose, moved to the area to clear the land and prepare it for the construction of the affordable housing project.

But their efforts in ensuring that the project takes off successfully, is being curtailed by the activities of these illegal dwellers as some of them have put up structures which are at the completion levels.

A visit to the land has revealed that, although the company secured a court order to demolish all structures on the said land, many people are still putting up houses without recourse to the order with new entrants coming in day by day. This reporter can say that, on almost all the over forty structures situated on the said land, a court order was pasted. However, it was discovered that majority of copies of the order which were pasted on the walls were peeled off. It was also gathered that the encroachers who have already put up buildings on the land do so without any building permit, and yet continue to frustrate Agu Resources’ efforts.

In an interview with the Site Manager of Agu Resources, George Grant Dogli he averred that since the company begun preparing the land for construction to begin, it has faced series of resistance, attacks from people including encroachers making it difficult for them to carry on with the project. “Soon after we cleared the land, development started quickly, everybody was rushing to build, putting in mind the notion that as far as the land belongs to government, in the event of demolishing, they will be compensated,” he said. The news team which went to the land, also found out that all billboards, sign posts that were erected to show that the land is for a purpose of constructing Affordable Housing Units were pulled down.

However, engaging some encroachers in a conversation, they averred that although they had the order placed on their buildings, they are hoping that government will compensate them in the event that the demolishing is carried. The Construction Firm’s problem began they were served with an application by the Abbeyman Family Stool which prayed a court for an order on interlocutory injunction to restrain the firm and others from developing the land. The Abbeyman Family’s basis for that action was that the family had secured judgement against Nsakina Mantse, from whom Adicopa Farms acquired the said land, which was subsequently procured by the Ministry of Water Resources Works and Housing and further transferred to Agu Resources Ghana Limited which fully paid for the land and subsequently obtained Land Title through the Lands Commission.

However, on February 4, 2013 the Court presided over by Mr. Justice S.H Ocran held that it was a general knowledge that there was shortage of residential accommodation in the country and if Agu Resources was putting up the affordable houses for low-income group, which will also create employment for many Ghanaians, the application for an order of interlocutory injunction must be refused.

With the throwing out of the application, the Court further ordered Agu Resources to demolish all structures on the land and continue in earnest the Affordable Housing Units construction.

Responding to a question on why it’s taking his company too long to effect the court order, the Site Manager said they are seeking security protection to be able to carry out such an exercise based on their past experience where they were attacked by the encroachers.

He indicated that, the time has come for the company to effect the court order and begin construction and hence sent a word of caution to the encroachers to evacuate the land before the unexpected happens.