The Chief of Anum-Asamankese and a key figure in the Odoi Kese family of Obosomase, Osabarimah Essah Kwasi Mensah Bediako III, has strongly criticized the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Daniel Titus-Glover, following the demolition of several structures near the Dodowa Forest on Friday, August 9.
Osabarimah Bediako III accused the Minister of engaging in actions akin to those of land guards, condemning the unauthorized demolition led by a joint military and police team. He expressed deep concern that the Minister had overstepped legal boundaries by demolishing both family and private properties at Dodowa without adherence to the rule of law.
Describing the Minister’s actions as a “reckless disregard of the law,” Osabarimah Bediako III argued that such behavior should not be tolerated in a country governed by democratic principles.
He revealed that the demolition targeted a four-acre land, resulting in the destruction of a protective fence wall, the confiscation of about 5 tons of iron rods, Poly tanks, and thousands of cement blocks. Additionally, around two hundred cattle grazing on the land have gone missing since the incident.
The Chief maintained that the land in question does not fall within the Dodowa Forest nor is it state-owned. He asserted that the Odoi Kese family holds legal ownership of significant portions of land in Dodowa, backed by proper documentation, including a court declaration.
Osabarimah Bediako III further criticized Mr. Titus-Glover for declaring the land a security zone without any legal basis and condemned the subsequent demolition as both “unlawful and despicable” under Ghana’s democratic system.
He pointed out that two days before the demolition, the Minister held a press conference demanding proof of ownership from those with interests in the Dodowa enclave.
However, before the Odoi Kese family could present their documents, the Minister allegedly ordered the destruction of the property on the land.
The Chief is now calling on the government to compensate for the damages or face legal action.
He emphasized that the ownership of the disputed land could be easily verified through a search at the Lands Commission and suggested that the current tension could have been avoided if the Minister had acted lawfully.