Police Prevent Clash Over Land At Fijai

By Peter Gbambila-Fijai.

The timely intervention of the Police from the Adiembra Police Station here prevented a clash between officials of the Centre for National Culture (CNC) and Winners Chapel International Church over a parcel of land at Fijai, a suburb of Sekondi in the Western Region.

A fierce argument ensued between the two groups last Friday and the police were called upon to forestall any disturbances and advised them to go to the Lands Commission with their documents to settle the matter.

The CNC said they acquired the land to develop into a cultural centre since 1970 but the Winners Chapel also claimed the land had been sold to them.

Members of the Winners Chapel declined comments when the Ghanaian Times reached out to them on the matter.

According to the Western Regional Director of the CNC, Mr Benjamin Keelson the government acquired over 23 acres of land around Fijai to be developed into various sections of the cultural centre in the 1970s.

He said the ground breaking for the theatre took place in 1989, to build a multi-purpose theatre for cultural activities including the construction of a cane village for the making of baskets, cane chairs and others.

Mr Keelson said all artisans who dealt in local arts were to be moved to the theatre grounds which would serve as a one stop shop market for all locally made products.

The Regional Director said for fear of encroachment, teak trees had been planted on all the boundaries from the disputed land which the Winners International Chapel was claiming ownership.

Mr Keelson said the Winners Chapel International decided to fence a portion of the CNC land claiming ownership "so I sent my staff to go and re-fence the area and this nearly brought a big problem between my staff and the pastor and his people."

The leader of the police team, Sgt Salifu Halidu of the Adiembra Police advised the two parties to send their documents to the Lands Commission since they indicated they had the documents covering the land.

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