Ghanaian paramount chief dismisses report of demolition of Nigerian High Commission building

As anger rages over the demolition of a Nigeria High Commission building in Ghana, the paramount chief of the Osu Traditional Area in the West African nation, Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, claimed on Monday all pieces of land in Greater Accra Region of the county had been trespassed upon by unknown persons.

Kinka Dowuona, who is also the President of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, said in a statement he personally signed that the piece of land belongs to the Osu Stool.

He said the land and the entire Osu Mantse layout did not belong to the state but the Osu Paramount Stool, adding that only the Stool had the right to lease or grant renewal of approval when such expired.

Kinka Dowuona described as wrong and without justification report that armed men had demolished the structure belonging to the Nigeria High Commission.

He argued that the land in question was separate from the one currently occupied by the Nigeria High Commission.

Armed men had on Friday stormed the staff quarters of the Nigeria High Commission in Ghana with bulldozers and demolished a block of apartments on the property.

The building was being constructed to accommodate staff and visiting diplomats to the High Commission.

However, the Ghanaian government had promised to go after the perpetrators of the act.

The paramount chief said: “It came to the attention of the Osu Stool that the original building on the parcel of land was demolished and, in its place, a new structure was being erected.

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“The Osu Stool was informed that the structure was being erected by a Nigerian business person with the aid of the Nigerian High Commission and was forcibly trying to take over the said parcel of land.

“The Osu Stool was also informed that the structure is planned entertainment complex to be used as an events center for commercial purposes and is not a block of flats as has been purported in the reportage.

“The Stool has a high level of respect for foreign missions and has therefore on several occasions verbally informed the unidentified trespasser of the ownership status of the land through the security personnel resident on the parcel of land.

“The Stool has subsequently sent messages inviting the trespasser for a discussion on the ownership of the land.

“There has till date been no response or acknowledgment in response to the stool’s invitation nor has the trespasser proceeded to submit any documentation of permission upon which it demolished the original structure on the land and proceeded to erect a new structure.

“The trespasser has openly and with impunity disrespected the paramount Chief of the Osu Traditional Area, Stool Lands Authority and the Traditional Council of Elders by its attendant behavior.

“Authorities including officials from the Lands Commission, the Cantonments Police and Police Headquarters have invited the trespassers to produce documentation for the parcel of land.”

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