A Security analyst, Professor Kwesi Aning has revealed that using guns to resolve land disputes could translate into the upcoming December polls.
He said the use of firearms is a clear indication that violence and intimidation have become a currency in Ghana.
“These people will transmit from land guards to vigilantes and now we are seeing their preparedness and their willingness to use firearms. I can almost guess that with the ease with which one can get access to explosives, they will also be used. So, we need to be careful.”
Prof. Kwesi Aning’s comments follow the recent shooting and killing of a military man over a land dispute at Kasoa Millennium City.
Speaking on Joy FM, Professor Aning revealed that land disputes can lead to a serious crisis if not dealt with.
“We are on a dangerous slippery downward slope to a major crisis that will be very difficult to turn back if we don’t stop.”
To Professor Aning, the state is failing to demonstrate its ability to protect the citizens of the country,” he stressed.
“When you take up arms against the uniformed services of the state, what you are doing is not just killing an individual soldier or police officer or customs officer, you are challenging the authority of the state to protect its citizens.”
“Over the past three to four, five years, the Republic of Ghana has failed to demonstrate that it has the capacity to protect its law-abiding citizens and that, to a large extent, sows fear and creates societies of fear and instability.”
Highlighting the key factors contributing to the rise in land disputes in the country, Prof. Anning expressed worry over the failure of gun laws, weakness in stockpile management, leakages in the system and the astronomical increase in land value in the country.
“This is going to get worse because we seem to take this as part of the way that land business is done, that patronage politics is done, and that rent-seeking behaviour must pan out. So, there’s no real serious effort in engaging where we’ve come from and how we’ve landed where we are.
Timothy Anyidoho, the Acting Regional Lands Officer for Greater Accra, identified the lack of clear land ownership as a significant factor contributing to land-related disputes in Ghana.
He emphasized that families, clans, and stools often face difficulties determining the exact boundaries of their lands, leading to conflicts.
Anyidoho therefore urged for stricter enforcement of existing land laws to address this issue.
He underscored the need to establish clear legal frameworks and regulations to define land ownership and ensure that boundaries are properly demarcated.
He said this would help prevent misunderstandings, disputes, and potential legal battles over land ownership.
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Source: Flora Tang/ATLFMNEWS
