Police have arrested five persons for allegedly demolishing an office structure being put up by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ellembelle District, in the Western Region. It is believed the suspects went on rampage, using machetes and guns to destroy parts of the facility, which cost about GH¢1 million, in the early hours of Thursday, May 7.
“We have mobilized the contractors to the site. We needed to go and get some building materials to get the work going. We will by the time the investigation comes through, we will have the full account of what really happened and who these people are,” NDC Constituency Communications Officer, Kwesi Hanson told the media.
He stressed the party’s determination to see the office project through. Meanwhile, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ellembelle, Joseph Armah Agyekum, condemned the incident describing it as unlawful and unacceptable. He noted that no individual or group has the right to demolish any structure unless it goes through lawful process and the decision is supported by the courts or the District Security Council (DISEC) which he chairs.
The DCE said the land in contention was bought by the Member of Parliament for Ellembelle, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, from the late Chief Nana Boadi in 2017 for GH¢20,000 per plot. Following the death of the Chief, however, the Awiaso royal family challenged the transaction and described it as illegitimate since the land had not been rightfully transferred. Mr Agyekum revealed that although the case was reported in court, it was later withdrawn to have it resolved amicably under an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism.
“To avoid litigation as a party we decided to pay for the land, we had some conditions that the royal family came up with. One was to employ youth in the community for the work that we were doing, also help them at the palace and then pay annual royalties to the Chief,” he added.
According to him, the royal family came up with an additional condition after the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) had been signed, requiring the NDC and the MP to support the gazetting of King Kaku Aka III as Overlord of the Nzema land, a request which he said was beyond the MP and the party’s remit. The DCE noted that the building had been attacked numerous times ever since the construction works begun.
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