The Ga-Dangme Council has received with grave concern reports including videos of unlawful actions
and threats being perpetrated by certain persons claiming to be Indigenes of the Eastern Region, aimed at forcibly ejecting Ga-Dangme people who have peacefully lived, occupied, and possessed lands in the area known as Okanta for nearly two hundred (200) years.
These Ga-Dangme families, whose ancestry traces to the Greater Accra Region, lawfully migrated,
settled, and established roots in Okanta long before the present generation.
Over the centuries, they have lived in harmony with neighbouring communities, contributed to
agriculture, commerce, and social development, and exercised uninterrupted possession of their lands and homes without contest.
The Ga-Dangme Council unequivocally condemns the unlawful, intimidating, and
reckless conduct of individuals who now seek to dislodge these families through
threats, harassment, and acts of force only to turn over the land to galamsayers.
Such conduct is not only unacceptable but clearly illegal.
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We wish to remind all parties that under Article 18(1) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of
Ghana, every person has the right to own property either alone or in association with others and shall
not be arbitrarily deprived of that property.
Furthermore, Article 20 strictly prohibits compulsory deprivation of property except in
accordance with law and upon due process.
Additionally, the principle of long adverse possession and peaceful occupation, well
recognised under Ghanaian statutory law and upheld by the courts, confers legitimate rights which cannot be extinguished by mere assertions of indigeneity or unilateral declarations
The new Land Act 2020 also recognises the right of settlers who have occupied a parcel of land for not
more than fifty (50) years. It is our considered opinion, that any land-related dispute must be resolved
through the courts of competent jurisdiction or recognised traditional authorities if the parties so desire but certainly not through acts of vigilantism.
The actions reportedly taking place in Okanta also offend Article 15(1) of the Constitution, which
guarantees the dignity of all persons, and Article 17, which prohibits discrimination on grounds of
ethnicity or place of origin.
The Ga-Dangme Council therefore calls on:
The Eastern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) and relevant law enforcement agencies to
immediately intervene to maintain peace and protect lives and property at Okanta;
The National and Eastern Regional Houses of Chiefs to ensure that customary authority is not abused to justify illegality; Opinion leaders and traditional authorities in Okanta to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue in the
interest of peaceful coexistence.
While the Ga-Dangme Council remains committed to peace, unity, and lawful engagement, we will not hesitate to pursue all lawful and constitutional avenues to protect the rights, dignity, and ancestral
heritage of Ga-Dangme people wherever they reside in Ghana.
No citizen of this Republic should be treated as a stranger on land their forebears have
occupied peacefully for generations.
Signed
Hon. J. Ayikoi Otoo
(President)
December 14, 2025
