The Chief of Suisi-Okwenya in the Manya Krobo Traditional Area of the Eastern Region has condemned the wanton sale of lands surrounding the Krobo Mountains, a revered ancestral site.

Nene Olepeme Sakinor Nanor I in strong terms warned that the Krobo people would soon rise to stop the illegality if the actions of the lands commission in connivance with some chiefs are not stopped.

The traditional leader in issuing a stern warning against the sale of the lands disclosed that his investigations reveal that the Lands Commission over time illegally and unlawfully engaged in the wanton sale of the lands without the consent of the people.

His warning comes on the back of recent concerns bordering on the sale of lands at the foot of the mountains to various individuals. A visit to the site reveals that several permanent structures including houses have sprang up on the hitherto reserved site, raising concerns amongst various groups.

The sale, the concerned persons argue, does not only desecrate the ancestral heritage of the people but deprives the Krobo people of vital space for future use.

Nene Olepeme expressing his disdain over the sale of the lands enlightened the public on the status of the mountain as the traditional home of the Krobo people.

“It’s very unfortunate that people are building houses and putting up other structures at the foot of the Krobo mountains,” said the chief. “the Krobo mountains itself is our ancestral home where we trace our ancestors to, both Yilo and Manya and every year we go there to perform customs to remember our ancestors so the mountains and the lands under the mountain belong to the Krobos.”

Underscoring the reverence of the mountain owing to its history, the chief noted: “The Mountain is the history of the Krobo people so by destroying it, we’re destroying our history.”

The lands commission at a meeting with various stakeholders at the palace of the Yilo Klo State and before His Royal Majesty, Nene Nuer Anorbaah Sasraku II reportedly admitted to selling portions of the lands to individuals.

Faulting the Lands Commission for its complicity in the sale of the lands, Nene Olepeme urged individuals who have bought parts of the lands from the Lands Commission to go for their money, adding that the people would not tolerate the development.

“Those who have bought the lands from the lands commission or whoever sold it to them should go back and collect their money because Krobos will rise against it,” he advised.

Kloma Hegme’s intervention

Kloma Hengme, one of the prominent Krobo youth groups was the first to raise concerns regarding the issue.

Chairman of the group, Mr. Isaac Tamatey Otu and members of the group have maintained persistent advocacy against the practice.

In a meeting with the Konor of Yilo Krobo, Nene Nuer Anorbaah Sasraku II with several stakeholders including Kloma Hengme on the encroachment of lands around the the enclave of the Krobo mountains by private developers, Mr Tamatey disclosed the outcome of the meeting. He wrote on his facebook page: "The Regional Lands Commission admitted that they are part of those selling the lands at the foot of the Krobo Mountain.

Quoting the words of the Lands director, he was reported to have said, ''In our records, the land surrounding the Krobo mountains is a state land, and can therefore be leased [sold] to any Ghanaian who comes forward to buy it, hence our decision to lease the lands,'' the regional lands director was quoted to have said.

The director also claimed that for those who acquired the land for residential purposes, they (the Lands Commission) leased it out to them for a maximum of 99 years and 50 years to those acquiring it for commercial purposes.

According to the Kloma Hengme chairman, the Lands Commission are leasing out the land, in connivance with some chefs, the Yilo Krobo and Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assemblies.

The Konor of Yilo Klo; Nene Nuer Anorbaah Sasraku II, during the meeting, made it clear to the Lands Commission that the land surrounding the Krobo mountain is not state lands and cautioned the Lands Commission to stay off the lands.

''The Land surrounding the Krobo mountain is not a state land. That must be made clear. It is never a state land. Our ancestors in 1893 refused to sign the agreement for the takeover of the land by the colonial government. The documents are there. That purported document being used by the Land Commission to suggest that our chiefs in those days signed any document to make it a state land is a forged document. The sales of our lands have to stop. We therefore want our land back immediately.''

The Kloma Hengme Association also cautioned the Lands Commission to, immediately, halt any further sales and allocation of the remaining lands to private developers as Krobos, as a people, make efforts to retrieve the lands from the state:

''We are speaking as an angry youth. We want solutions. We want the land back immediately. You must stop selling out the land to people. Those that you have already given out the land to them, please go and take it back from them.
In order to get our lands back, some proposals were made including some petitions that have to be made, and letters that have to be written to officialdom.

History

In 1892, the Krobos were forcefully evicted from their Krobo Mountain home by the British Colonial government led by the then governor, Sir Brandford Griffith. A year later, on March 17, 1893, the colonial government forcefully took over the Mountain as a state land under a ''Certificate of Title (Site for Krobo Hills)''. The Chiefs, however, refused to sign the document for the divestiture of the Mountain.

Representing Kloma Hengme at the meeting were: Mr Isaac Tamatey Otu, Dr Eric Tamatey Lawer, Mr Tetteh Akutey Meridian and Mr Solomon Odartey Vergas.