Lands Ministry Chief Director Accuses Government Of Using Land Guards To Fight Encroachers

• The lands ministry chief director has said the government has been utilising land guards to protect lands
• The chief director, Prof Patrick Agbesinyale, has also said the army and police have resorted to engaging the services of land guards
• Agbesinyale also claimed some land guards have been compensated with state lands for their services

The government has been using land guards to reclaim encroached lands, according to the chief director of the lands ministry, Prof Patrick Agbesinyale.

He told a committee in Parliamentary last week that the government uses land guards to avoid backlash.

“I think the idea was that anytime the government apparatus; the police, military among others, are seen going out there to claim lands, you know the hullabaloo and backlash the government receives," he explained.

This claim comes in light of the Vigilantism and Related Offenses Act, which criminalises the use of land guards to protect or guard property.

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According to Agbesinyale, the government also gives out some of the land to land guards as compensation.

“So, what they do is that you would set up somebody like this, and the government would literally be hiding behind it, so he can reclaim government lands," he said.

The Chief Director also claimed that even the Ghana Armed Forces and the Police Service use the services of land guards.

The government has struggled to fend off encroachers on government lands and has resorted to forced demolition exercises in some cases.

Condemnation from Minority

In response to this, the Tamale North MP, Alhassan Suhuyini, said the government was not committed to combatting land guard activities.

He also expressed shock at the claim that the army and the police used land guards.

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Land guards involved in shoot out

YEN.com.gh has reported on past violent incidents involving land guards.

In December 2022, a group of land guards were shot at when they tried to scare construction workers at Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region.

The construction workers fired on them, wounding one land guard during that clash.

Land guards attack NPP group presser

In April 2021, land guards broke into a news conference organised by an NPP group and disrupted the event.

The land guards, numbering about 20, destroyed tables and chairs at the venue.

They also chased out journalists invited to cover the event, which was held at Dansoman.

Source: YEN.com.gh