A parcel of land at Jang, a farming community in the Upper West Region has become a matter controversy between members of the community Mr. Mathew Song Aabo, a businessman and an investor, who acquired the land for a mango plantation. Matters came to a head when the community members organized a press conference to state their position on the matter. The spokesperson of the Jang community, Mr. Charles Kaneo said Mr. Song Aabo is a son of the community, neighbouring Zambogu but resident in Kaleo in the Nadowli district of the Upper West Region. According to him, Mr Song Aabo approached the elders and landlords of the Jang community to assist him with a parcel of land to put up his mango plantation and other agricultural purpose. The elders agreed and offered him his request by committing the entire agreement to paper work and all of them appended their signatures. He said the agreement was signed on the 21 October 2006 giving Mr. Mathew Song Aabo twenty hectares or 50 acres of land at no cost. Mr. Kaneo said unbeknown to the elders Mr. Song Aabo prepared a lease on the said twenty-hectare land through the falsification of lease documents, saying “to his selfish and parochial interest showing how ungrateful he is to the good people of Jang who granted him his request”. He accused Mr. Song Aabo of not dealing fairly with his benefactors. He said Mr. Song Aabo falsified documents claiming that the land on which his mango plantation is situated belongs to Yogle Taani, head of the Tanni family of Zambogu, where he Mr. Song Aabo comes from. The spokesperson dismissed the claim, arguing the “said Yogle is from the Jang community.” He added even though the land was not sold or leased at any amount, Mr. Song Aabo claims he is paying an annual rent of GHC50 to the elders of Jang. He said the people of Jang have no problem with the people of Zambogu as they are only contesting the lease documents of Mr. Song Aabo and Mr. Edward Bagniba who assisted Mr. Sung Aabo to falsify the lease documents concerning the land. There are two contrasting documents on the land acquired by Mr. Mathew Song Aabo. The first document dated 21 of October 2006 in which the land is bordered by Zambogu to the west, Tibane to the south, Jang to the east and Jang dam to the north and has eight elders appending their signatures on a piece of document between the Jang community and Matson company limited, a company owned by Mr. Mathew Song Aabo. The prepared lease agreement which the Jang community is disputing is dated 1 January 2007 between Yogle Tanni (head of Tanni family of Zambogu village near Kaleo and Mathew Song Aabo as ‘the lessee’ given to him for a period of fifty years lease. This is the bone of contention on the matter as the two parties seem to fall apart as to what is the reality on the ground. The spokesperson Mr. Kaneo said they are prepared to sit down and talk with Mr. Sung Aabo since he is one of them, but are really alarmed with the alleged falsification of document of lease by Mr. Song Aabo. Credit: B.M.J. Seidu/Ghananewslink.com