Prosper AGBENYEGA
The ongoing dispute over lands at Borteyman has taken a new twist as the Muhajirun African American Islamic Institute (MAAII) and the wider Muslim Ummah have challenged recent claims by Trasacco Estates Development Company Limited, which sought to downplay the controversy as a case of “misinformation” and “religious sentiment.”
In a strongly worded rebuttal, Muslim leaders accused Trasacco of deliberately twisting the facts to mask what they describe as a corporate land grab facilitated through manipulation within the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) and political interference.
The Original Allocation: 82 Acres, Not 26
Contrary to Trasacco’s assertion that only 26 acres were allocated to the Muhajirun Institute in 1981, official documents prove otherwise. On March 20, 1981, TDC granted a Right of Entry to the Institute for plots AGR/562 – 56 and AGR/943-26 covering 82 acres in total.
The March 20, 1981 letter from TDC to Mr. Shaihu Issah Kweku granting his right of entry to the plot of land in question states:
“Dear Sir,
RIGHT OF ENTRY
We acknowledge receipt of the acceptance letter dated 22nd December, 1980, and the payment of the first year’s ground rent in respect of the above-mentioned plot offered to you. You are hereby granted the right of entry to the plot and your tenancy commences on 1st April, 1981. We shall communicate with you again in connection with the execution of the lease agreement.
Signed:
REX LAMPTEY –
Legal Officer for Managing Director.”
The Institute then continues to pay ground rent, and TDC receipts acknowledging payment remain in its possession as evidence.
Nearly two decades later, in November 2000, TDC itself reclassified the land from farmland to educational and institutional use, confirming the 72-acre allocation for schools, mosques, and community facilities.
“Trasacco’s claim of 26 acres is a false narrative created in 2014 to justify reallocation. The records speak for themselves,” said a former Lands Commission official familiar with the case.
It is also on record with documentary proof that the Muhajirun Islamic Association, led by Sheihu Issah Kweku wrote to TDC on November 16, 1999 for a change of User on the said property from farmland to institutional/mixed use.
In its response to the Association, TDC stated in its letter dated November 24, 2000 that:
“Dear Sir,
With reference to your letter dated November 16, 1999, on the above subject matter, we are pleased to inform you that your application to change the farmland to institutional/mixed use has been approved, based on the reasons you provided.
It must be recalled that, the following agreement was reached That 72 ACRES would be given to you whilst the remaining 8.13 ACRES will revert to the Corporation.
The Estates Department will give you the official offer pertaining to the new user. You are required to pay the annual Ground rent before the new formal offer and right of entry will be issued to you.
Signed:
Managing Director (E.T, AYI-BONTE)”
It is even clear from this letter from TDC that the Muhajirun Islamic Association (Sheihu Issah Kweku) owns 72 Acres in addition to 8.3 acres which was reverted to the Corporation during the Change of User.
Manipulation and the Trasacco Entry
Community leaders insist the 2014 letter from TDC, used by Trasacco to argue the land was only 26 acres, was part of a calculated move to shrink the Muslim community’s landholding and pave the way for politically connected developers.
It was during this period of “boundary redefinitions” that Trasacco, owned by Italian businessman Ernesto Taricone, suddenly emerged with claims to the land.
Insiders allege the acquisition was engineered through backdoor dealings at TDC, bypassing the Institute’s established rights.
Facts of the matter is that, in 2016, management of TDC offered 361 acres of land to Trassaco as compensation for a questionable service that it rendered to TDC.
This offer suddenly led to a portion of adjacent land belonging to the Muslim community, wrongfully included in the offer to Trassaco.
In 2010, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) raised red flags over the questionable transaction, reviewed and downsized the land given to Trassaco by TDC, from 361 acres to 270 acres, after discovering the duplicity in the transaction between the trasacco and TDC.
In view of that, the government advised TDC to fairly release 77 acres of land scheduled for the educational project and other social amenities that they intend to pursue for Muhajirun Islamic Association.
Government of Ghana itself acknowledged Muhajirun Islamic Association’s ownership when, on March 23, 2016, the land was formally handed over to MAAII through the National Chief Imam of Ghana, being the leader of the Muslim community.
This remains the ultimate confirmation of their rights, rendering Trasacco’s subsequent claims illegitimate.
Blocking Access and Intimidation
While Trasacco insists it has not engaged in intimidation or blockades, residents provide a different picture.
Multiple eyewitnesses and Military officers who visited the site confirmed that roads leading to the Muhajirun school and homes were obstructed by Trasacco’s activities.
Pictorial and video evidence of pupils and teachers scaling walls built around their school and dormitories by Trasacco were made available to the media.
“Evidence of Trasacco blocking our school and homes is clear. This is not designed to inflame tensions, it is the reality on the ground,” one resident told reporters.
They further allege the use of landguards to intimidate settlers; tactics they describe as consistent with Trasacco’s pattern of protecting contested estates.
Selling Out the Community Vision
Muslim leaders reject Trasacco’s accusation that they “sold off” portions of their 26 acres, calling it a deliberate distortion.
“You cannot accuse us of selling off land when you are trying to rewrite the allocation itself. We were granted 77 acres, including 2 acres per the AESL report for schools, mosques, and social infrastructure, not twisted 26, as claimed by Trasacco,” a spokesperson for the Muhajirun Institute said.
Instead, they argue that Trasacco’s luxury housing agenda is destroying the original community mission: to build institutions that serve Islam, education, and the nation.
A Battle Beyond Land
For the Muslim community, the dispute is about more than land. It is about protecting the legacy of the Ummah against corporate and political overreach.
“This land was meant to educate our children, uplift our people, and serve God. We will not allow a corporate giant to erase four decades of lawful ownership with money and influence,” a community elder said.
Owners of the land continue to insist that Trasacco Estates Development Company Limited of “shamelessly” attempting to mislead the public with what they describe as contradictory claims and questionable documents allegedly secured in connivance with some staff of the Tema Development Corporation (TDC).
According to the them, Trasacco in its response to media reports, has shifted its position several times, initially claiming the residents had no land, and later stating they only had 26 acres recorded since 1981, which they allege does not fall within the company’s area.
The Muhajirun Islamic Association, however, argue that their old houses, which stand on the disputed land, are evidence that they have occupied the area long before Trasacco’s claim.
The Muhajirun Islamic Association further accused Trasacco of unlawfully demolishing more than 45 houses belonging to their members and making attempts to clear remaining structures in order to erase any physical proof of their long-standing presence.
They insist they have valid documents and TDC letters confirming their ownership of the land.
They also pointed to a police report, which they noted undermines Trasacco’s position, and cited an agreement prepared by the company (Trasacco) itself that allegedly acknowledged consensus on compensation for demolished houses.
According to them, the company’s reluctance to proceed with demolitions after that report exposes its inconsistency.
The Association stressed that while Trasacco continues to insist only 26 acres were recorded under their name since 1981, a previous committee under the office of the former Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia led Edward Appiah had already examined the matter and established that they lawfully held rights to larger portions of land.
They referenced land records indicating that parcels AGR 562 (56 acres) and AGR 943 (26 acres) originally belonged to Tetteh Bosa and Set Yankson, who sublet them to the Sheihu Issah Kwaku in 1981 with TDC’s consent. Since then, they have paid annual ground rent as legal occupants.
Questions have been raised challenging Trasacco’s denial of their ownership.
- Why, they asked, was former Works and Minister Alhaji Dauda Collins brought in as an arbitrator if their claims were baseless?
- Why did the Minister authorize the Architectural and Engineering Services Limited (AESL) to conduct an independent survey instead of relying on TDC surveyors?
III. What did the AESL survey report conclude, and what was the Minister’s reaction?
- And finally, what was the response of TDC’s own surveyors in their memo following the AESL survey?
“All the above proved that we are the rightful owners of the 82 acres,” the Association insisted, accusing Trasacco of using influence within the system, with the support of some TDC officials and other hidden interests, to frustrate them.
They argued that this has stalled their educational and developmental progress, all in the name of giving way to “ultra-modern houses” built by Trasacco.
According to the Association, past TDC leadership has perpetuated the problem, with former TDC Managing Director, Mansah Banson, as the alleged official who created the initial controversy.
They alleged that his successors, instead of correcting the mistakes, “took their share from Trasacco and left the matter unresolved.”
“Even though TDC has officially written to Trasacco that they have encroached upon our land, they falsely and persistently refuse to accept,” they said, while urging the public to treat Trasacco’s claims with caution.
Conclusion: A Test of Ghana’s Justice
The Borteyman land case now stands as a test of Ghana’s commitment to justice and fairness.
While Trasacco insists it is defending its “legitimate rights,” the documentary evidence, from 1981 allocations to the 2016 government handover, points to the Muslim community as the rightful custodians. Until decisive state action is taken, analysts warn that Trasacco’s shadow will continue to loom large over Borteyman, deepening tensions and undermining trust in Ghana’s land administration system.