AMRAHIA, June 25 — Residents of the Amrahia Dairy Farm community in the Greater Accra Region are calling on President John Dramani Mahama to step in and order an investigation into the demolition of their homes and a church building. Families here say they have lost property worth thousands of cedis after what they describe as an unlawful destruction carried out by unidentified individuals. The demolitions targeted several structures in the community, including Heaven Investment Chapel.
Residents insist they acquired the land legally and had developed their properties over the past two years. For families across this corner of Greater Accra, the loss is not just bricks and mortar.
It is a blow to the sense of security that comes from building a home or a place of worship through honest effort. Nearly two months have passed since the demolition exercise, and the affected residents say no arrests have been made. They also say no official explanation has been provided, despite several petitions submitted to state authorities.
A group of demonstrators, including members of Heaven Investment Chapel, staged a protest to demand answers. They want state institutions to investigate what happened and bring those responsible to justice.
The disputed land is part of the roughly 2,000-acre Amrahia Dairy Farm. The state originally acquired the land through Executive Instrument (EI) 1970 for dairy production. The project operated for about three decades before it became dormant.
In 2020, the administration of former President Nana Akufo-Addo, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, returned 40 per cent of the acquired land to the original stool and family owners. Since then, tensions over ownership of portions of the land have persisted. Competing claims from various parties have created an atmosphere of uncertainty for people living and building here.
For the residents, the core question is simple: who authorised the demolitions, and why have the authorities not acted? They allege that a group of men entered the community and began pulling down buildings without any coordination with local leaders or law enforcement.
The lack of accountability, they say, leaves everyone vulnerable. What it means for people here is a wait for a signal from the highest office that their plight matters. The appeal to President Mahama reflects a hope that the presidency can cut through the competing claims and the silence from state institutions.
For now, families in Amrahia Dairy Farm are left to wonder whether their homes will be safe tomorrow, and whether the law will ever catch up with those who tore them down.
