- Ga-Dangme families in Okanta face illegal eviction attempts after 200 years of settlement
- Council accuses some individuals of using intimidation to hand land to illegal mining operators
- Constitution and Land Act 2020 protect settlers’ rights and long-term occupation
The Ga-Dangme Council has strongly condemned what it describes as illegal attempts to forcibly evict Ga-Dangme settlers from Okanta in the Eastern Region, following reports and videos showing threats and intimidation against the community.
In a press release dated December 14, 2025, and signed by its President, J. Ayikoi Otoo, the Council highlighted that Ga-Dangme families have peacefully occupied and lived on land in Okanta for nearly 200 years.
The statement explained that these families migrated from the Greater Accra Region generations ago, establishing permanent homes and livelihoods in the area. Over the years, they have coexisted harmoniously with neighbouring communities, contributing to agriculture, trade, and social development without disputes over land ownership.
The Council accused certain individuals, claiming to be Eastern Region indigenes, of using threats, harassment, and force to dislodge the Ga-Dangme families, allegedly to transfer the land to illegal mining operators. It described these actions as reckless, intimidating, and unlawful.
Citing the 1992 Constitution, the Ga-Dangme Council stressed that every person has the right to own property and cannot be arbitrarily deprived of it. It also noted that Ghanaian law recognises long, peaceful occupation of land and protects settlers from eviction based solely on claims of indigeneity.
The Council further referenced the Land Act, 2020, which affirms the rights of settlers with extended occupancy and underscores that land disputes must be resolved through the courts or recognised traditional authorities, not through acts of vigilantism.
It warned that the reported actions in Okanta violate constitutional protections for human dignity and prohibit discrimination based on ethnicity or place of origin.
The Ga-Dangme Council called on the Eastern Regional Security Council and law enforcement agencies to intervene promptly to maintain peace and protect lives and property. It also urged the National and Eastern Regional Houses of Chiefs, as well as local opinion leaders, to prevent abuse of customary authority and promote dialogue and peaceful coexistence.
Reaffirming its commitment to peace and unity, the Council stated it will continue to pursue all lawful and constitutional avenues to defend the rights, dignity, and ancestral heritage of Ga-Dangme people across Ghana.
