The company is an agricultural company operating in the area and has been accused of taking more than a 140-acre parcel of land belonging to the community.

Some of the aggrieved youth described the encroachment as a threat to their source of livelihood.

A community leader, Victor Atsu Hunugbe, said the land had been their lifeline for generations, a source of livelihood, hope for a better future, and not just a piece of land.

He said the residents farmed on the 140-acre plot and used its proceeds to erect a few developmental structures in the community for the past 12 years and these were likely to be halted if the situation was not addressed.

Mr Hunugbe called on the DCE to urgently intervene and resolve the situation, adding that immediate action was needed to protect their rights and ensure the land was rightfully returned to them.

Mr Sadat Mourinho, the manager of the Agro Springs Company, said he was aware of the allegations from the residents.

He mentioned that, the 140-acre plot was legitimately acquired by his company from the residents through the District Assembly and there was no encroachment.

Mr. Mourinho stated that their operations on the land were temporarily stopped by the Assembly as measures are underway to resolve the situation.

Thomas Moore Zonyrah, the Central Tongu DCE, when contacted said he would work to ensure that there was peace and the necessary actions taken to bring peace to the residents of the community.

He, however, refuted that the Agro Springs Company had encroached the said land under contention. Mr Zonyrah revealed that a group of people who had the right to the same land had given it out to the company.

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According to him, some individuals who purchase lands later add portions of government lands to their property.

Mr ilkinson’s comments come after the demolition of several buildings on government lands in the Ga West Municipality to make way for the construction of roads leading to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

“Lands Commission is largely to blame for the encroachment of government lands. Encroachers end up with documents from the Commission because the officials do not inspect the land to know whether or not it belongs to government.

“Also the Municipal Assembly issues land permits for the encroachers.” He said in an interview on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem Friday.

He praised the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, for approving the construction of major roads in the Assembly.

However, Mr Wilkinson expressed disappointment that only three lanes were constructed instead of ten, as the government had acquired lands for the project that were encroached upon by residents.

He also noted that compensations had been given by former President Kufuor.

Mr. Wilkinson blamed the Lands Commission and his outfit for the encroachment of government lands, and commended Mr. Amoako-Attah for approving the construction of major roads in the Assembly.

He expressed disappointment that the full extent of the planned road construction could not be carried out due to encroachment, despite previous compensation being paid.

“Instead of constructing 10 lanes on both sides of the road, it was decided that three lanes should be done. But I thought that was not good enough as government had secured lands for the construction of the road which has been encroached on by residents. So I made Amoako-Attah aware of the situation and he was not pleased. Compensations had been given by President Kufuor.” He added.

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This they believe will save the country from spending millions of cedis relocating the onion sellers to another place in the near future.

The youth leader of the market, Rashid thinks the earlier the government intervenes, the better for the future of the trading centre.

According to him, when one pictures the market five years or more from now, the expansion that will be needed may not happen due to the encroached land and it may lead to another relocation.

After several failures by successive Accra mayors and governments to relocate onion sellers mainly at the Agbogbloshie market as a way of decongestion to other designated locations, current Greater Accra Minister Henry Quartey chalked that success.

The relocation was met with stiff resistance, compelling Mr Quartey to retreat and engage stakeholders.

In the ensuing days towards the deadline for eviction, Mr Quartey met with Members of Parliament, leadership of the traders, Chief Imam, other chiefs and opinion leaders.

Finally, the thousands of squatters at Agbogbloshie were moved to their new designated locations, Adjen Kotoku in the Ga West municipality and Gomoa Domenase in the Central Region.

Interestingly, Agbogbloshie, a former wetland, which later became home to one of the world’s largest electronic waste dumps has been salvaged and now looks like virgin land.

This vast land here at the heart of Ghana’s capital city has now been earmarked for various government projects – including the much-touted health project Agenda 111.

It’s been about a year after the historic Agbogbloshie evacuation and Adom News embarked on a mission to check on how the evacuees are faring at Adjen Kotoku and Domenase.

Adom News had a closer view of the over five thousand onion sellers and their new environment, as well as business conditions.

One of the leaders of the onion sellers association told the news team that business is now picking up after their relocation from Agbogbloshie.

The market looks incomplete as many traders have no sheds, a situation they described as a failure on the part of the architect of the relocation; the Greater Accra Regional Minister.

When it comes to hygiene, the situation is not encouraging as mobile toilets and other refuse containers are overflowing and uncollected by the assembly.

They also bemoaned the impact of the deplorable road leading to the market on their vehicles.

They alleged that portions of the lands belonging to the school have been sold to private investors without recourse to educational development.

Management of Ejisuman SHS says the encroachers have consumed close to half of the 120-acre land size allocated to the school.

Assistant Headmaster, Administration, Daness Asimenu, revealed that the investors have threatened to construct a road to demarcate the land.

“Encroachers have seized the lands belonging to Ejisuman. They told us it was the Omanhene who sold the land to them.

“They have even threatened to construct a road separating certain teachers’ bungalows from the others where there will be the demarcation. And then, those bungalows that fall beyond this border will be taken over by them,” he said.

The encroachers are at various stages of building construction on the land.

School authorities are appealing to the Asantehene, the Ejisu Municipal Assembly and the Ejisu Municipal Directorate to come to their aid to ward off intruders.

Municipal Director of Education of Ejisu, Kwabena Wusu, received a petition from the school. 

He assured the school of solutions to the challenge. 

“We have taken lead in making sure the Regional Director hears of this, onwards to the Regional Minister. I believe you are going to do what is supposed to be done. I will make sure to pursue this case to its logical conclusion,” he said.

Municipal Chief Executive of Ejisu, Samuel Oduro Frimpong, also assured that due process will be followed to mitigate the concerns of the school. 

“I will go through your petition, consult the various stakeholders and ensure that the land is protected. I will brief the Regional Minister and ensure that perpetrators are brought to book,” he said.

The strike, which will take effect from today, June 28, 2021, according to the staff, is to protest the encroachment of the hospital’s lands.

According to the staff, several appeals to authorities over the last few years to help stop the indiscriminate developments around them, which are threatening the lives of patients and staff, have been ignored.

The staff said the activities of land guards on a parcel of land who sporadically fire gunshots, as well as, rampant robberies and attacks on some workers remain issues that put their safety under threat.

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As part of the strike, therefore, the workers will stage the Running Away from Danger demo at the hospital.

The workers, among other things, are also demanding the construction of a wall around the hospital to ward off these people.