• The encroachers operate at night

Residents of Effiduase SSNIT flats in the New Juaben North Municipality of the Eastern Region of late have been receiving threats of ejection from encroachers.

The reason is that some unscrupulous persons who are parading as land owners have been selling portions of land belonging to SSNIT to people in the community.

Other reason given indicated that, the government gave the land to SSNIT without paying any compensations to the land owners.

According to Mr Asiamah Yirenkyi, a resident and a management committee member of Effiduase SSNIT flats, all the metal drying lines, farms and playing ground in the area had been destroyed.

He mentioned the most affected areas as, Blocks 7,8,9 and 10 and called on the authorities concerned to protect them from such harassments. 

He said the danger associated with their activities was that they operated in the night so it had been difficult for them to be recognised.

Mr Yirenkyi said the operatives came to the area about two weeks ago with bulldozers to pull down a warehouse belonging to SSNIT and started developing new houses.

“They have sold parts of the land, destroyed our farms and even portions of the drains that carry waste water from our homes have also been destroyed” he said.

He said the leaders of the SSNIT flats association had written to the Eastern Regional Minister, SSNIT Management, the Police, Town and Country Planning, Lands Commission, the two MCEs of New Juaben North and South, to come to their aid.

When The Spectator contacted the office of SSNIT in Koforidua, Mr Twum Twumasi, Deputy Data Operations Manager, confirmed the situation and said management was working hard to ensure that those selling government properties be are brought to book.

He said the SSNIT Legal Department had taken the matter up and requested for court injunction over the activities of the people.

The Eastern Regional PRO of SSNIT Mr Royal Nii Krotey Donkor also said that all the documents in possession of SSNIT showed that the land belonged to Trust and that compensations had been duly paid to beneficiaries and, therefore, no one had the right to own it.

He appealed to the people selling such lands and harassing occupants of SSNIT properties to desist from it, assuring the residents that his outfit would do everything possible to protect them.

By Spectator Reporter