Nsawam (E/R), April 20, GNA – Nana Baffour Kwabena Baah, the Akwan Srahene (intermediary) of Kyebi Apapam, has commended the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, for helping to reduce the “land-guard” menace in the Akim Abuakwa Traditional Area.
He said land-guards had been disturbing the peace of the area for the past years, forcefully taking over lands, engaging in sand winning and threatening the lives of farmers with guns and other dangerous weapons.
However, Nana Baah said the IGP had been able to work with his team to reduce their activities to the barest minimum.
Nana Baah, who is also the Second-in-Command of the Okyeman Land Protection Taskforce, said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Nsawam after he had toured some communities within the Okyeman State in the Eastern Region.
He mentioned some of the communities he visited as Kyekyewere, Suhum, Asuboi, Budu, Amanase, Coaltar, Adoagyiri, and Teacher Mante to interact with the chiefs to avoid engaging the services of land-guards.
He said Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panyin, the Okyehene, was the sole owner of Okyeman lands, which stretched from Adoagyiri to Jejeti in the Eastern Region and needed entrepreneurs to invest in the land.
The Okyehene, therefore, formed the Okyeman Land Protection Taskforce to ensure that the lands were protected from encroachers, especially land-guards, who derailed development efforts, he said.
He urged the chiefs and the people to cooperate with the Okyeman Taskforce to drive away land-guards by reporting to the police any suspicious character.
Nana Baah also the Chief Executive Officer of the Baah Vim Real Estate Construction Limited, called on estate developers, business entrepreneurs and companies to invest in Okyeman to help create employment opportunities for the youth.
GNA