The management of Woodfields Development Company has strongly denied what it describes as false and misleading claims regarding the ownership of lands at Chrematinville in Borteyman, Accra, attributing the allegations to individuals of questionable identity attempting to distort facts and discredit the company.
Addressing a press conference in Accra on Thursday, the company’s Director of Operations and Public Affairs, Mr. Benard Kusi Appau, stated emphatically that Woodfields is the lawful occupant and developer of the said lands since 2003, and holds valid documentation backed by the Nungua Stool and the Lands Commission of Ghana.
Mr. Appau clarified that Woodfields Development Company is a legally registered real estate firm and a subsidiary of Groupe Chrematin, founded by renowned lawyer and real estate mogul Nana Odeneho Kyeremateng. He emphasized that contrary to public misconceptions, Woodfields is distinct from Comet Properties Ltd, although both fall under the Groupe Chrematin umbrella.
According to the company’s account, the roots of its involvement with the land trace back to a 2003 agreement between the law firm Kwaku Kyeremateng & Co. and the Nungua Stool. The firm was engaged to secure the release of 1,650 acres of state-acquired land, formerly known as Nungua Farms, which was being eyed for a faecal treatment plant by the government. Under the agreement, the law firm was to receive 15% of the land upon a successful release.
Woodfields Development Company was brought in by the law firm to provide the necessary funding—amounting to over $18 million at the time—for the legal process and stakeholder engagements. Upon successful negotiations and the 2010 release of the land, the Nungua Stool acknowledged Woodfields’ role and entered into a settlement agreement in 2012, assigning 217 acres to the company, later formalized with a Deed of Assignment.
“This land, now known as Chrematinville, is not stool land but public land leased to the Nungua Stool and lawfully assigned to us. We have been in lawful possession since 2003 and have invested over $20.5 million to date,” Mr. Appau said.
He expressed concern over persistent encroachment attempts by individuals identified as members of the Borteyfio family, who he claims are unlawfully laying claim to portions of the land. He accused them of engaging in double sales and unlawful developments, including the destruction of infrastructure on the site.
Mr. Appau further disclosed that in 2021, a High Court ruling invalidated the company’s site plans on technical grounds, but a stay of execution was granted pending appeal, which remains unresolved. “Our documents have all been duly stamped and consented to by the Lands Commission,” he stressed.
He urged the media and public to refrain from spreading misinformation and called on law enforcement to clamp down on what he described as criminal land grabbing activities.
“How do we allow miscreants parading as traditional leaders to destroy our roads, electricity, and water infrastructure on a land we’ve lawfully occupied and developed for over two decades?” he questioned.
The company reaffirmed its commitment to lawful processes and called for the strict enforcement of Ghana’s land laws to protect legitimate investments and landowners.
By Samuel Asamoah
