Mr  Clemence Gyato, the government-appointed consultant overseeing the reclamation of encroached state lands, has issued a warning to individuals illegally occupying lands around the Madina Zongo Junction and Libya Quarters in the Greater Accra Region.

Speaking in an interview with UTV during a national security-led operation to the area on Friday, October 17, 2025, Mr Gyato emphasised that most of the lands in question belong to private individuals and not the La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal Assembly. 

He explained that the land was initially released to the Assembly through an agreement with a former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) to provide a temporary market space for women traders.

“The former MCE came to see us that they wanted to clear the squatters from the roadside and bring them here to sell.

So, we agreed. But today, the place has turned into a town where people are living in.

We, the land owners, are not benefiting from it,” Mr Gyato said.

He added that the government will move swiftly to ensure that all squatters, particularly those who have converted the area into a permanent market and residential settlement, are relocated.

According to Gyato, the Assembly has been given a 21-day notice to clear all illegal occupants from the disputed lands.

“If the government wants to evict you, it gives you at least 21 days’ notice. So, we are telling the Assembly that we are giving them 21 days’ notice to evict people from the premises,” he stated.

He disclosed that the Ghana Police Service has been informed of the situation and urged all relevant government agencies to collaborate in restoring order.

Mr Gyato appealed to the government and key stakeholders to investigate the matter and take immediate steps to bring sanity to the area.

“This place is not land that belongs to the Assembly. We have no arrangement with the Assembly or anyone here. The market here has turned into a town.

The police are working on the issue and we are calling on the government to see to it that everyone is evicted and the matter properly resolved,” he stressed.

The consultant reiterated his commitment to ensuring that state and private lands are protected from encroachment, warning that future operations would be extended to other parts of the capital where similar illegal occupations have been reported.