The Ga-Dangme Council has strongly condemned what it describes as unlawful attempts to forcibly eject Ga-Dangme settlers from Okanta in the Eastern Region, warning that the actions pose a serious threat to peace, constitutional order, and ethnic harmony.

In a statement dated December 14, 2025, and signed by its President, Mr J. Ayikoi Otoo, the Council said it had received disturbing reports, including video evidence, of threats, intimidation, and acts of force allegedly being carried out by individuals claiming to be indigenes of the Eastern Region.

According to the Council, the affected Ga-Dangme families have lived, occupied, and possessed lands in Okanta peacefully for nearly 200 years.

It noted that the families, whose ancestry traces back to the Greater Accra Region, lawfully migrated to the area generations ago and have since coexisted harmoniously with neighbouring communities while contributing to agriculture, commerce, and social development.

The Council accused the perpetrators of attempting to dislodge the settlers through unlawful means in order to hand over the land to illegal miners, describing such actions as reckless, illegal, and unacceptable.

Citing provisions of the 1992 Constitution, the Ga-Dangme Council stressed that every person has the right to own property and should not be arbitrarily deprived of it.

The statement referenced Articles 18 and 20, which protect property rights and regulate compulsory acquisition, as well as Article 15 on human dignity and Article 17 on non-discrimination.

The Council further noted that Ghanaian law recognises rights acquired through long, peaceful, and adverse possession, adding that the Land Act, 2020 also protects the rights of settlers who have occupied land for extended periods.

It argued that land disputes must be resolved through the courts or recognised traditional authorities, not through vigilantism.

The Ga-Dangme Council has therefore called on the Eastern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) and law enforcement agencies to intervene immediately to protect lives and property at Okanta.

It also urged the National and Eastern Regional Houses of Chiefs to ensure that customary authority is not used to justify illegality, and appealed to opinion leaders and traditional authorities in the area to exercise restraint and pursue dialogue.

While reaffirming its commitment to peace and lawful engagement, the Council warned that it would pursue all constitutional and legal avenues to defend the rights, dignity, and ancestral heritage of Ga-Dangme people across the country.

“No citizen of this Republic should be treated as a stranger on land their forebears have occupied peacefully for generations,” the statement said.