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The Chief and people of Appolonia, a suburb of Greater Accra have pointed accusing fingers at management of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, for using the company’s subsidiary, SINO Africa Development Company Limited to grab 1,000 acres of their Stool lands.

According to them Zoomlion has unlawfully and without the consent of the Chief and elders of Appolonia and the Appolonia Stool, enriched some three disgruntled indigenes of Appolonia by paying them huge sums of money for the said land.

At a press conference organized by the Appolonia Stool elders and addressed by Joshua Nii Akpeng Tettey, Assistant Stool Secretary a couple of days ago he averred that their reaction was necessary considering some claims being laid by one Gabriel Forceby, Operations Manager of SINO Africa, a subsidiary of Zoomlion that the company had acquired the said land from “legitimate grantors” including Nii Iddrisu Tettey Mansro, Seth Gblie Narteh and Seth Afum.

Joshua Nii Akpeng Tettey explained that the Appolonia Stool got to know of the illegal sale of the land when the police forwarded a copy of a petition they received from SINO Africa Development Company Limited, laying claim to the said land and complaining of harassment from some policemen.

“…Appolonia Stool caused its lawyer, Sampson Obeng to respond appropriately. In response to the petition, the Appolonia Stool Lawyer denied that it has any knowledge of the grant of the 1,000 acres of land to SINO Africa Development Company Limited by Nii Iddrisu Tettey Mansro, Seth Gblie Narteh and Seth Afum,” he stated.

He also indicated that, the then Chief of Appolonia who reigned for close to 38years until January 14, 2014 did not sign the lease document which SINO Africa produced as evidence of the lease, neither did the Stool Council consulted over the deal.

“One of these three grantors, Nii Iddrisu Tettey Mansro declared himself Regent of Appolonia on December 6, 2013 long after he had co-signed the said lease document to SINO Africa Development Company Limited, an action, which was soundly condemned by the late Chief of Appolonia.”

According to him, SINO Africa which received copy of the Stool’s response to their petition sent to the police, wrote to Iddrisu Tettey Mansro on December 19, 2011.

In that letter SINO Africa Development Limited stated under the heading ‘Purchase of 1000 Acres of land at Appolonia by SINO Africa Development Company Limited’ that “As you will recall sometime in 2010, SINO Africa Company Development Limited acquired 1,000 acres of land at Appolonia from your good self and two other persons, namely Seth Gblie Narteh and Seth Afum. Subsequently, however, further diligence conducted by the company disclosed that the within-named grantors lacked the full capacity to alienate the said land.”

The company also went on to state that it had approached other grantors for regularization of the transaction.

However, the Appolonia Stool elders were at a loss as to the reason why Zoomlion will claim to have obtained the land from Chiefs of Appolonia.

Joshua Nii Akpeng Tettey, Assistant Stool Secretary told the press that, SINO Africa Development Company Limited after paying Four Million Ghana Cedis to the three disgruntle indigenes will shun all the education it received concerning the land, and turned back and refer to the three “Appolonia Rebels” as legitimate grantors of the Appolonia Stool lands.

“The sudden U-turn occurred after the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary primary, when a son of Appolonia, stood with Joseph Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo who thereafter vowed to take vengeance on the Appolonia Stool and the Appolonia Stool lands,” he averred.

He however indicated that, Zoomlion and SINO Africa together with their Chinese backers are dreaming by attempting to revert their position to allow the three people to keep the money whilst the company keeps the said land unlawfully.

According to him, before Joseph Siaw-Adjapong and his companies invade the Appolonis lands, residents were living in peace and knew nothing about land guards, but because Gabriel Forceby and his boss knew they were dealing with illegitimate people, and as such relying on influence of some powerful politicians decided to use land guards  to terrorize the people.

“… Land owners cannot go to their property because of the walls and some land guards the Zoomlion boss has hired to protect the land. Because of the land guards people cannot go to their acquired properties, because they have been inflicting cutlass wounds on individuals who visit their lawfully acquired land,” he revealed.

He indicated that, Nii Iddrisu Tettey Mansro has no royal lineage and cannot arrogate to himself the title of a Chief and engage in wanton sale of the Stool lands with the aid of land guards.

He stressed that the impunity with which land guards are operating is alleged to have been aided by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Joseph Nii Afotey Agbo “who has made part of his ministerial duties to influence chieftaincy and land matters.”