Daniel Akwetey Tetteh
A GHANAIAN industrialist, Daniel Akwetey Tetteh, has kicked against the growing trend where miscreants illegally sell lands earmarked for community development projects to private persons.
According to Mr Tetteh, the trend has allegedly become widespread at Kpone-Katamanso in the Greater Accra Region where some indigenes forge documents and secure fake signatures to sell lands designated for school projects, cemeteries, health facilities and other community projects.
Mr Tetteh, who is board chairman of Appolonia City, made this known at a fundraising event for the Appolonia School recently.
The event was meant to raise support for the school to renovate some parts of its dilapidated blocks and facilities.
Present at the event were some state officials, including, Member of Parliament for Kpone-Katamanso, Hon Joseph Tetteh and some executives from the municipal authority.
Appolonia City Support
Appolonia City has over the past years, invested in a number of projects to support the development of Appolonia School.
The management has committed resources to enhance the education of the people. Some of them include the erection of additional blocks for the Appolonia Junior High School, upgrading of a CHIPS Compound for the municipality, and the installation of water tanks for the school children.
As part of the fundraising event, the management of Appolonia City pledged to give the school GH¢60,000 to aid it repair broken down facilities and commence work on a new classroom block ahead of the school’s 75th anniversary next year.
Search Before You Buy
According Mr Tetteh, one of the reasons that has contributed to the sale of unauthorised lands was the refusal of land buyers to follow due process.
He said instead of doing due diligence before attempting to buy lands, most of the illegal buyers decide to go ahead without proper checks and later hire the services of land guards to protect the illegally acquired lands.
Mr Tetteh, popularly referred to as “ Dan T” said it beat his imagination to discover that some developers would decide to pay huge money for lands without doing due diligence.
In the case of Appolonia Town, a suburb of Greater Accra, he said the culprits were mostly unsuspecting individuals, including some Ga Dangbe indigenes.
Citing an example, Mr Tetteh said just last year, a retired teacher at Appolonia Town connived with people and attempted to sell lands earmarked for school, cemetery and hospital projects to interested developers.
He said the community would not allow illegal buyers who made any such attempt to develop their land, adding that “We will resist any such move.”
Mr Tetteh said he did not understand why some people would allow their own personal interests to override the collective benefit of an entire community.
“You are selling every piece of land forgetting that these lands are supposed to be protected and wisely invested to benefit the people. God is not creating any more lands in case people have forgotten,” he said.
Mr Tetteh said Ga people were only fortunate to be in Greater Accra where land value was high but elsewhere, people have 1000 acres of land left untouched and yet the people manage to find their way to support their families without engaging in misdeeds.”
He said if efforts were not put in place to end the sale of authorised lands in Greater Accra, respect for the image of Ga Dangbe would wane.
Mr Tetteh therefore called on the Kpone- Katamanso Municipality, Ga Dangbes in government and the MP of the constituency, to join forces together and combating land crimes in Appolonia Town.
He also used the occasion to commend the new Inspector of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, for his commitment to combat crime and indiscipline in the country.