Ellembelle: Mr Joseph Armah Agyekum, District Chief Executive (DCE) of Ellembelle, has condemned the acts of vandalism perpetrated by unknown individuals, suspected to be land guards, who destroyed a new NDC party office under construction at Awiaso Junction in the Ellembelle District.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr Armah Agyekum emphasized that only the court or himself as DCE and Chairman of the District Security Council (DISEC) have the authority to demolish any structure under any circumstance. The incident occurred during the midnight of May 7, 2026, when unknown assailants wielding guns and machetes vandalized the office, which was valued at GHc1 million.
Speaking to journalists at the site, Mr Armah Agyekum explained that Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle, purchased two plots of land in 2017 for GHc 20,000 each from the late Chief Nana Boadi. However, the royal family, led by Nana Akpanyi Armoo and Abusuakpanyinli Nana Ekeyeboe, later contested the sale after the chief's death, claiming the land was not sold to Nana Boadi.
The dispute was initially taken to court but was later withdrawn for settlement through the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism. Mr Agyekum, upon assuming office, proposed that the NDC party repay the land's cost to avoid further litigation.
The royal family agreed to allow the construction on the condition that the party employed local youth for the construction, provided building materials for a new palace complex, and paid annual royalties. However, a new condition emerged after a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was established, demanding that the MP and NDC ensure King Kaku Aka III was gazetted as Overlord of Nzema land by the national House of Chiefs.
Mr Armah Agyekum noted that this demand was beyond his and the NDC's capabilities in Ellembelle, which may have displeased King Kaku Aka III and the royal family. He highlighted that this was not the first time such an incident occurred, suggesting repeated frustrations from the community over unmet demands.
Ellembelle NDC Constituency Chairman, Mr Alex Mahama, expressed concern over the development and warned NDC branch chairmen at Awiaso that the actions could lead to arrests and detentions if the perpetrators were identified.