The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has refuted allegations by the Chief Director of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, that it engaged the services of a notorious land guard to protect its encroached lands.

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) in a statement said it "has monitored with dismay, a news story alleging that it uses the services of land guards to reclaim its encroached lands. GAF wishes to assure all well-meaning Ghanaians that the allegation is false and should be treated with the contempt it deserves.

According to GAF, it is unimaginable that it cannot protect its own land and will rely on a land guard to do so.

In a statement issued on Monday, July 17, it described the news as regrettable. 

“It is unimaginable that GAF cannot protect its own lands but rather indulge in an illegality by relying on the services of land guards, a proscribed activity.”

“GAF deems it as regrettable that news reports emanated from unsubstantiated allegations made by the Chief Director of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Prof Patrick Agbesinyale at a Parliamentary Committee meeting on 10 July 2023.”

“We wish to stress that this allegation which was repeated by Hon Alhassan Suhuyini, Member of Parliament for Tamale North to the media is false and should be ignored.”

It has thus asked the public to disregard same. 

“Accordingly, GAF wishes to once again urge the media and the public not to hesitate to contact the Department of Public Relations to clarify stories of these nature before publishing them.”

The Ghana Armed Forces said it will not be distracted from performing its core duties. 

“At this critical time, GAF’s focus is geared towards protecting the frontiers of our country against the downward spread of violent extremism from the Sahel Region and the least the Institution expects are issues that distracts us (GAF) from focusing on protecting the country.”

“The Ghana Armed Forces would once again assure the general public of its continuous commitment to ensuring peace and security for the socio-economic development of Ghana,” it concluded. 

The Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service have been accused of hiring a notorious land guard popularly known as ‘Gyato’ to reclaim their lands that have been encroached. 

The Chief Director of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Prof Patrick Agbesinyale, made the revelation on Monday, July 10, during a meeting with Parliament’s Lands and Forestry Committee.

Prof Patrick Agbesinyale said the security agencies then apportion parts of the reclaimed lands to the land guard as payment his work. ‘Gyato’ allegedly carries out similar activities for the government according to Prof Agbesinyale.

“So, he recently reclaimed some lands for us and out of that land, we gave him 50 of 6,000 acres as payment for all his expenses. So he has the right to and sell that 50. If he is selling it, there is noise all over the place.”

“He doesn’t even sell it. He gives it out for people to develop so that he gets his share. I can give you a tall list of lands that Gyato (land guard) has claimed for us to the extent that even the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service their lands that have been encroached they hire Gyato to reclaim for them,” he claimed.

According to him, the decision not to use the police or the military in protecting and reclaiming lands was to avoid public backlash.

“I think the idea was that anytime the government apparatus; the police, military among others are seen going out there to claim lands, you know the hullabaloo and backlash the government receives.”

“So, what they do is that you would set up somebody like this and the government would literally be hiding behind it so he can reclaim government lands.”

This is in spite of the passage of the Vigilantism and Related Offenses Act, 2019(Act, 999) which clearly criminalises such activities.