The Chief Director of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Prof. Patrick Agbesinyale, has refuted claims that the government engages the services of land guards to assist in reclaiming encroached government lands.
The claims were made by Tamale South MP, Alhassan Suhuyini, who alleged that Prof. Agbesinyale had confessed to entering into a contract with land guards.
However, appearing before the Public Account Committee (PAC) on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, Prof. Agbesinyale said “I take exception to that reportage.”
“I think land guard unfortunately is a terminology that all of us don’t want to be associated with. At least we know what land guards do. They are illegal entities that operate and engage in all forms of criminal activities, I can’t imagine saying government uses land guards,” he explained.
The Chief Director added that “We cannot attribute land guards to our respectable security agencies, it’s unfair, and I personally take a very strong exception to that, because I never mentioned land guard in my submission to the committee, I never did.”
The Ministry and three of its Agencies led by the Deputy Minister, Benito Owusu-Bio, on behalf of the sector minister appeared before the PAC to explain some infractions that were recorded by the Auditor General during the 2020 accounting year.
The agencies are the Lands & Forestry Commissions, as well as the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands.
