Landowners threaten injunction on Ho university land
Some landowners have threatened to seek a court injunction on the development of the main site of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) at Sokode near Ho.
Describing themselves as “vulnerable” the purported landowners asserted that government had acquired the site forcefully and refused to engage them for compensation.
Mrs Vida Dzobo, Spokesperson for the group said though government was informed that the original landowners had sold portions of the land to individuals, efforts by the present owners to get compensation from government have been fruitless.
She said a consulting firm, WISDAF Company Limited, which was helping the landowners in the matter, informed them that officials at the Land Commission said no compensation would be paid on the land because it was not acquired by Legislative Instrument.
Mrs Dobo said while they are awaiting government for the way forward, a deadline was given for property owners to remove their crops and economic trees within a short period to make way for the construction of road to the site.
She alleged that some days to the deadline, a bulldozer was brought to the site to clear crops and economic trees planted by the landowners.
Mrs Dzobo said the act is a clear indication that government is forcefully taking their land and denying them their livelihood.
She said as much as they appreciate the establishment of a public university in the Volta Region, the landowners deserve to be given what is due them rightfully in exchange for the land.
“Our rights have seriously been trampled upon since no law in this country allows one to develop anybody’s parcel of land when one has not paid for it,” she said.
However, a source at the Regional Coordinating Council said government is following due process to pay compensation to rightful owners.
The source said government is going ahead with projects on the site because it does not want to delay the projects “unduly”.
The source said the processes are almost through and that government would soon begin paying compensation to the rightful owners.
Source: GNA