The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Group KOANS, Prof. Kofi Anokye, has called on the Overlord of the Akim Abuakwa Traditional Area, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin II, to stay away from Akim Abuakwa sold lands.
Prof. Anokye stated that almost all the lands belonging to Akim Abuakwa had been sold outright, and for all time way back in 1928, with the exception of a few on which the inheritance occupied.
But responding to the issues raised by Prof. Kofi Anokye, the Akwansrahene (Visiting Chief) of Kyebi Apapam, Nana Baffour Kwabena Baah, insisted that the areas mentioned by the former are all within and for the Overlord of the Akim Abuakwa Traditional Area.
According to Prof. Anokye, during the reign of the late Sir Nana Ofori Atta (I) (the then Omanhene of Akim Abuakwa), one of the famous and intelligent Kings Mother Ghana has ever had, he decided to undertake a remarkable exercise to ascertain ownership of the very lands being contested today.
He said it was a praiseworthy initiative, because the late King wanted the right thing done so that he didn’t step into the boundaries of others.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) said in a statement that the late Sir Nana Ofori Atta (I) immediately set out to engage some learned people, including his own nephew, Dr. J.B. Danquah of blessed memory, and others to investigate the history and the extent of lands legally under his jurisdiction.
He said based on the investigation, Dr. J.B. Danquah discovered that about 98% of the land, from Densu at Nsawam to Densuso (Apedwa), had been sold out absolutely and for all time. “Land to the left and right of the Nsawam road for a distance of 10 to 25 miles on either side had been sold out.
The same tale could be told of the Northern boundary of the state roundabout Asuom, and you are, of course, aware that the town of Oda (Capital of West Akim) and surrounding villages are situated on land sold by Akim Abuakwa.”
He said the Chief of Apapam would not, subsequently, have been in such a hurry to dispose of his southern land so cheaply and in such a vast parcel.
Again, the Chief of Apapam, in selling lands outright to migrant coach farmers and most of the large areas so alienated before or about 1914 were situated far away from Asamankese town, towards the southern boundaries of the area.
“As for availability of land in Southern Akim Abuakwa, the position in 1918 was that the chiefs of Apapam and Apedwa had sold nearly all that they had (other than the little retained by their own people), though much of the land that had been sold remained, as yet, unplanted with cocoa.”
Prof. Kofi Anokye has, therefore, urged the Akim Abuakwa State that in order to obtain unimpeachable title to stool land in Akim Abuakwa, it was necessary first to acquire an option over the land from the chief of the town or village owing the stool, “by which such land is immediately held, and then obtain the sanction and approval of the Paramount Chief.”
He said as development keeps catching up with the southern portion of the said stool lands, and with just a few portions left, it was important that the current Paramount Chief re-strategises in order to avoid unwarranted litigations.
According to him, some of the land owners had already revealed that there had been several judgments, mostly delivered by their predecessors (The Late Sir Nana Ofori Atta) in favour of some of these purchasers, and for that matter, reinventing the wheels would be counter-productive.
“In addition, there needed to be diplomatic collaboration between the parties involved, in order that there would be a win-win situation. Any attempt to forcefully collect lands from some of these people may lead to a state of anarchy, and can hinder development within the said area and potentially loss of human lives and properties and other precious resources.”
He said he had observed with similar concern that some of the chiefs were still giving out the little lands left in their possession as freehold, instead of leaseholds. “With all due respect, kindly hold back both your residual and reversal interests, as supported by the law, else posterity will judge you badly, just as previous chiefs in the area are judged for their lack of foresight when selling the lands.”
“Land,” he believed, “was the second most valuable asset after education anyone can leave for his or her children and the unborn. It is the source of all the mineral resources; the food we grow and eat; the plants which take away the carbon dioxide and replaces it with the oxygen (O) we need most during respiration.
“Most importantly, it holds the waters we drink and everything therein, hence, we must hold it with care when we are placed in positions of trust as chiefs and family heads, and not to seek our personal interest. This is why land remains one of the few resources that keeps appreciating by the day in value, and at a very fast pace.
“Obviously most of those lands are gone for good if indeed these historical facts are something to go by. I believe in the authenticity of these facts and can say with absolute confidence that fighting over them is akin to wasting one’s breath. There may be litigations but the law will always lean towards the one backed by the hard fact and in this case, it is not the way of Akim Abuakwa,” he said
He said there would continuously be litigations in an attempt to fight back, especially now that infrastructural development seems to catch up with the area. However, the only way out to succeed was to sit down with the people currently owning them, and to enter into agreements that would benefit both parties in the short and long term, so that this all-important Kingdom would continue to exist and thrive.
Nana Baffour Kwabena Baah, Akwansrahene of Kyebi Apapam, further stated that nobody could buy or sell any land within the Akim Abuakwa Traditional Area without recourse to the Overlord, since all lands belong to Okyenhene.
He called on Prof Kofi Anokye, and any other person or group of persons, to do the right thing else would face the anger of the Akim Abuakwa Traditional Area.
