By Eric Appah Marfo
Accra, May 05, GNA—Mr Emmanuel Kotin, Executive Director, African Centre for Security and Counterterrorism, has called for the strict enforcement of land tenure and administrative laws to address land disputes in the country.
He said though Ghana had very good laws, failure to enforce them had heightened incidences of land disputes and landguardism.
Mr Kotin made the call on Saturday during a television discussion in Accra.
The discussion follows the recent shooting of a military officer at Millennium City in the Gomoa East District, Central Region.
Lance Corporal Michael Danso was on Tuesday shot over a land dispute.
He sustained gunshot wounds and was rushed to the Mother and Child Hospital at Kasoa for medical attention.
He was later pronounced dead by the medical authorities.
Police have commenced investigations and arrested one suspect by name Benlord Ababio, an alleged languard.
Landguardism is the practice of recruiting “a person who uses violence or threat of violence to protect or guard land or property belonging to that person or another person.”
Parliament, in 2019 enacted the “Vigilantism and Related Offenses Act, 2019 (ACT 999)” to address the menace.
Mr Kotin complained about the recruitment of political party security personnel into the State security architecture.
He said until such political interference in the security system was dealt with, any form of modernisation to it would be artificial.
“You see politicians at public events and see macho men following them. What form of security training have they received?” He asked.
The Security Expert lauded the Military for not engaging in reprisal attacks after the shooting of their colleague at Kasoa and allowing the Police to handle the issue.
Mr Clement Wilkinson, Municipal Chief Executive, Ga West Municipal Assembly, advised Chiefs to properly demarcate their lands and desist from selling them to multiple clients.
He urged the Judiciary to expedite cases on land disputes to prevent their escalation.
Mr Sam Pee Yalley, a former High Commissioner to India, said in times past, one could hardly see the Military interfacing with civilians and that promoted reverential fear for them.
However today, the Military was everywhere in communities involving themselves in civilian matters, he noted, saying it signaled a structural defect in the Military and appealed to the Armed Forces Council headed by the Vice President to address it.
Mr Awal Mohammed, National Communications Team Member, New Patriotic Party, said it was alarming and unfortunate that in the 21st century, a civilian could gather the courage to shoot at a security officer.
He extended condolences to the family of the deceased.
Mr Awal suggested the continuation of the digitalisation of lands to address land ownership issues.
GNA