Development Chief of Saapeiman Stool under the Gbese Royal Stool in Ga Mashie, Nii Abbey Okamfra I, has launched a scathing attack on elders and Paramount Chief of Akumajay Divisional Council of Ga Traditional Authority, Nii Ayikai III, for describing him as a "notorious land-guard."

The anger of Nii Abbey Okamfra I, who doubles as the Managing Director (MD) of Positive Drive Investment Limited at Adenta Mili Plaza, stems from the fact that he finds it extremely difficult to comprehend why Nii Ayikai III and his elders, at a recently held press conference in Accra, painted him black, which development has subjected him to public ridicule.

According to him, Nii Ayikai III and his elders told the whole world that he has teamed up with personnel from the Police SWAT Unit of the Ghana Police Service and land-guards to terrorise rightful land owners at Ayikai Doblo, a fast developing community in Ga West Municipality, an allegation the chief has described as "erroneous and untrue."

Addressing a press conference in Accra yesterday, Nii Okamfra recounted that in August 2013, his company legally took management contract from a Lebanese national who legally acquired 217 acres of the land from the legitimate elders of the three recognised families at Doblo Ayikai Stool in 1973.

He indicated that there were several documents at the Lands Commission of Ghana, indenture and title deeds to prove to that effect.

He asserted that the three families—Okaine Mensah We, Doblo Shia and Nii Kweifio We of the Ayikai Doblo—legally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the company in August 2013 which gave the company power of attorney to manage the 217 acres of the land, which was under dispute.

But setting the records straight on the matter, Nii Okamfra I denied being a land guard, stressing that he has not contracted any land guards or police to terrorise land owners of Ayikai Doblo lands, a Ga community near Nsawam as claimed by Nii Ayikai and his followers.

According to him, what actually happened was that police personnel were deployed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to protect staff members of the company to serve letters of notice to the land owners at Ayikai Doblo to come to the office of the company to regularise their land title documents in order for them to have their stay on the land.

He further described the statement of Nii Ayikai and his elders as "unfortunate and unpalatable" since, according to him, chiefs are supposed to promote peace and unity in their various areas instead of making false statements that tend to breed hatred.

The chief stated that "Nii Ayikai who doubles as the President of Ga Traditional Council is one chief in Ga State that I respect so much.”

"But Nii Ayikai III’s loose comments, describing me as a notorious land-guard whilst I am not is below the belt as Nii Ayikai controls over 20 towns and villages in the Ga State."

Nii Okamfra could also not understand why Nii Ayikai who was the same chief who brought him to Ayikai Doblo with a proposal to sell Ayikai Doblo lands to him, would just turn his back against him and "call me names."

Nii Okamfra further noted that as an experienced estate developer any time his company wants to acquire land for business, “I investigate and do due diligence before acquiring the land for any project to avoid litigations.”

According to the chief, during his investigations with regard to lands at Ayikai Doblo, he found out that matter went to court which ruling stated that Ayikai Doblo lands are for three families including the chiefs, adding that it was at that point that he decided to buy the land.

Nii Okamfra stressed that he and his team have registered their company and pay taxes to the government “so no one can stop them from acquiring land legally in the country.”

"I am very surprised that despite all these facts, the Akumajay paramount chief would still tell people that the Ayikai Doblo lands are stool lands, which means he is trying to change right to wrong," the chief stated.

Nii Okamfra further stressed that his investigations revealed that since time immemorial the Ayikai Doblo lands have been family lands and that the traditional title still remained so.

He added that if the paramount chief contends that the lands at Ayikai Doblo is 22,000 acres then “it is strange because it would look as if the stretch of the lands from Ayikai Doblo to Nsawam are all for Doblo alone.”

But responding to the allegation that the said land was leased by a Lebanese, Nii Okamfra said the lease period for the said Lebanese when was about to expire, portions of the same land were leased to him [Okamfra] with the consent of the Lebanese as he did not put the said land to any use.

When asked why Nii Okamfra was dealing with the chief of Ayikai Doblo, Nii Doblo Ayikai II, who Nii Ayikai III described as an illegal chief, the former responded that it was the same paramount chief who signed letters to confirm the Ayikai Doblo chief.

But in a riposte, Nii Ayikai III and his elders noted that they still stand by the statement that Positive Drive Investment Limited has no legal title to the Ayikai Doblo lands.