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Residents OF Kasoa Iron City are battling the Ga South Municipal Assembly and the Chief of Amanfro over boundary demarcation and tax revenues. The residents do not know whether their community falls under the Ga South Municipality in the Greater Accra Region or the Awutu Senya East Municipal Assembly in the Central Region.

The long-standing dispute is far from over as officials from the Ga South Assembly and the Chief of Amanfro continue to pull down houses, and posting notices on walls demanding property rates, and permits from land developers.

This development has brought an untold hardship to residents, who suffer daily attacks from land guards alleged to be working for the chief of Negleshie Amanfro, Nii Kwashie Gborlor, who is allegedly accused of selling some lands in the area. Nii Gbolor has denied accusations linking him to violence and sale of lands in the area of but stated that Kasoa Iron City falls under his jurisdiction.

In an interview with the DAILYHERITAGE, the chairman of the Central Mechanic and Spare Parts Dealers Association (CEMSDA), Kwaku Obeng Mensah, said the association acquired the land in the late1980s when the government decided to relocate spare parts dealers from Kokompe in Accra to Kasoa.

Mr. Mensah said CEMSDA later realized that a portion had been earmarked for an irrigation project so they re-entered into negotiations with the government and around 1988, the then Provision National Defence Council (PNDC) government sold the land to them with the appropriate documentation.

“As I speak, there is an Executive Instrument (EI) signed by the then Lands and Natural Resource Minister, Inusah Fuseini and gazetted on August 21, 2013, which gives us full autonomy and rights to be part of the Central Region and not Ga South,” he explained.

Mr. Mensah recounted that numerous letters had been sent to relevant bodies including the Ngleshie Amanfro Divisional Stool, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Armed forces, the Ga South Municipal Assembly at Weija, and the Awutu Senya East Municipal Assembly at Kasoa to address the issue.

He further revealed that the association had petitioned the Speaker of Parliament, the Chief Justice, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, the Ministry of local Government and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs, concerning this issue but to no avail.

The CEMSDA chairman said the land in question is a 409.95 acres and not the alleged four square meters housing CEMSDA offices, and that it was acquired by the association in 1993.  

He said the dispute has resulted in residents of Kasoa Iron City paying levies to the two assemblies. They also have to pay a regularization fee of GH?500.00 to the Ngleshi Amanfro Stool.

Mr. Mensah lamented that the situation has stalled the provision of services such as electricity, water, schools and most importantly security.

“Armed robbers are terrorizing us and the Kasoa Police Command isn’t doing anything to protect us. They claim the area doesn’t fall under their jurisdiction, while their officers are housed by CEMSDA at no cost to them”, he said.

Meanwhile, information available to DAILY HERITAGE has it that, the Ga South Municipal Assembly has threatened to institute legal action against prospective land developers or buyers and Iron City and adjoining communities for failing to pay property rate.