Over ten (10) farming communities in Ayensuano District of the Eastern Region on Thursday demonstrated over armed welding Landguards terrorizing them.
The farming Communities include Kyekyewere, Aziaka, Mensahkrom, Ankyiase, Twereso, Otomfo, Bonkua No. 1&2, Budu, Mankrong, Teacher Mante, Kwadwo Fosu, Yawkorkor, Amponsah, Agbozi, Govenorkrom, Abrodem, Ankyiase, and Twereso all in Ayensuano District.
The residents predominantly peasant farmers say their ancestors acquired the lands and settled in their present communities over 250 years ago however their lands have been taken away from them by some Chiefs in the traditional area and sold to private developers without their consent.
According to them, they have been dispossessed of their farmlands and plots of land to real estate developers and Sand winners using pump-action gun-wielding land guards to threaten and brutalize them.
They have issued a 14-day Ultimatum that if the land guards are not driven away from their lands, they will mobilize to face them squarely.
“Our great grandfathers bought these lands from custodians of these lands some 250-years ago which we have inherited but the lands are now being taken away from us. Recently a Cheif call Nana Mankanta is claiming he has acquired 27,000 acres of land from Teacher Mante to Asuboi to Abodeemu so residents on the land should leave the area”
He added ” they are destroying crops of vulnerable and peasant farmers. But we know our great grandfathers secured titles and documents on the land” Nana Ntow Mensah chief of Mensahkrom Community stated.
The Assembly Member for Kyerekyewere Kwaku Abedi said land gobbling in the area is threatening their livelihood indicating Koans Estate has recently acquired 2,760 acres of land in the area without paying compensation to farmers whose farmers who occupied the lands.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Obed Ansah
