There is an ongoing dispute over who owns the Ablekuma-Joma lands in the Ga West Municipal Assembly of the Greater Accra region.
The situation is causing tension in the community as ‘land owners’ are in a fix as to what becomes of their properties.
The Ghana Water Resources Commission waded into the impasse noting that neither Regimanuel Concrete Products Company Limited nor traditional authorities claiming ownership of the lands in that enclave have the locus to do so.
According to the Ghana Water Resources Commission, the lands under contention is a government property allocated to the commission for its water project in 1977.
Therefore, both parties are fighting a lose battle.
In 2015, RCP filed a case against encroachers at the High Court to demolish all unauthorized structures within 500 meters distance of its ‘concession’ based on a provision in the 2012 mining regulation.
Dr. Ronald Abrahams, Chief Basin Officer of Ghana Water Resources Commission indicated that the approach by Regimanuel Concrete Products Limited was a non-starter because both parties are occupying the lands illegally.
According to him, the land was allocated to the commission by an Executive Instrument 130 of 1977.
Besides the Executive Instrument that establishes that the land under contention belongs to government and allocated for the commission, further checks done by GHOne News indicated that the concession was first licensed in 1987 as development quarry site for a construction company known as Construction Pioneers but the contract expired in 2016 bringing all quarry activities to a permanent closure in the Ablekuma-Joma enclave.
However, Regimanuel Concrete Products Company Limited continues to mine there, arguing that it has the requisite license to remain in business.
Municipal Chief Executive for the Ga West Municipal Assembly, Clement Nii Lamptey Wilkinson is calling for cool heads to prevail to find a lasting solution to the situation.
In January 2012, Nii Ayitey Noyaatse I, Chief of Joma filed a case at the Accra High Court against RCP in respect of the quarry operations.
The court ruled against the claims after a search of the area proved that the land still belonged to government and the plaintiff did not have the locus to sue. In that same year, RCP applied to acquire a lease hold for the area, but this was rejected by the court.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM/103.5FM/ Samuel Lancelot Boateng
