Five persons have been arrested and remanded into police custody following the alleged destruction of a National Democratic Congress (NDC) office complex under construction in the Ellembelle District of Ghana’s Western Region.
The incident, which reportedly occurred in the early hours of 7 May, involved a group of individuals said to be wielding guns and machetes. The assailants allegedly demolished parts of the structure, estimated to cost about GH¢1 million.
Speaking to Citi News, the NDC’s Ellembelle Constituency Communications Officer, Kwesi Hanson, said the party remains determined to complete the project despite the setback.
“We have mobilised the contractors to come on site following the incident. We had to organise some materials for the construction. Investigations are still ongoing, so we are anticipating that by the time they are done, we will have a full report on whatever transpired and who these people were,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ellembelle District Chief Executive, Joseph Armah Agyekum, has condemned the destruction, describing it as unlawful and unacceptable.
He stressed that no individual or group has the authority to demolish any structure without due legal process, noting that such actions must be sanctioned by a court or the District Security Council (DISEC), which he chairs.
According to Agyekum, the dispute centres on ownership of the land on which the office complex is being built. He said the land was acquired in 2017 by the Member of Parliament for Ellembelle, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, from the late chief, Nana Boadi, at a reported cost of GH¢20,000 per plot.
However, following the chief’s death, the Awiaso royal family contested the legitimacy of the transaction, arguing that the land had not been properly transferred.
The matter was initially taken to court but later withdrawn for resolution through an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process.
Agyekum said that as part of efforts to settle the dispute amicably, the NDC agreed to repay for the land and comply with conditions set by the royal family. These included employing local youth on the project, supporting the construction of a palace, and paying annual royalties.
He further alleged that after a Memorandum of Understanding was reached, the royal family introduced an additional demand for the NDC and the MP to facilitate the gazetting of King Kaku Aka III as overlord of Nzema land — a request he said falls outside their authority.
The DCE also claimed the project site had been targeted on previous occasions since construction began.
Investigations into the latest incident are ongoing.
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