Some residents of Eguafo in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem (KEEA) Municipality of the Central Region have appealed to the Member of Parliament, Mr. Samuel Atta Mills, and other opinion leaders to urgently resolve a land dispute that is stifling development in the community.
The stalled project was designed to include key facilities, notably a flagship furniture factory expected to produce thousands of desks and chairs for schools across the municipality and beyond.
The industrial park, which features a modern-rustic blend of factories and facilities, currently lies idle, hindering development while many youth remain unemployed and roam the streets.
The project was also expected to empower women through on-site skills training in woodworking and assembly, provide vocational apprenticeships for school dropouts, and stimulate ancillary businesses such as food vending and transport. Ultimately, it aimed to boost household incomes and reduce youth migration to urban centers.
Additionally, the furniture factory aligns with national education goals under the Free Senior High School policy, with the potential to supply durable desks to ease overcrowding in schools across the Central Region and reduce procurement costs by up to 40 percent.
Speaking at a press conference, the community spokesperson, Mr. Emmanuel Quainoo, made a passionate appeal for the immediate resolution of a two-year land dispute that has left the 10-acre industrial park in a state of neglect.
The site, located directly opposite Eguafo Senior High School, once held great promise. However, building materials have since been abandoned and left vulnerable to theft.
According to him, work came to a halt following an injunction issued by Cape Coast High Court 2, stemming from a protracted legal dispute involving Mr. Victor Paa Kwesi Mensah, a resident of Ablekuma Fan Milk Junction in Accra, and Abusuapayin Kofi Ntoboah, head of the Anona Family in Eguafo, along with an unnamed developer.
He noted that the project had provided employment for hundreds of local youth, many of whom have since been left idle as machinery deteriorates and infrastructure decays.
He added that reviving the project would bring transformative benefits beyond immediate employment for over 200 workers, including boosting the local economy through supply chains for timber, steel, and logistics, as well as generating tax revenue for the KEEA Municipal Assembly.
Supporting these concerns, some residents, including Mr. Kwame Asare, a 28-year-old former site foreman who once supported his wife and two children, expressed deep frustration after two years of unemployment.
“This dispute has stolen our daily bread. I wake up to empty promises while my children go without,” Asare lamented.
“It’s like watching a feast prepared for the village, only for greedy hands to destroy it before anyone can benefit.”
Madam Abena Mena, a 45-year-old resident, also expressed heartbreak over her brother, Mr. Kofi Atta, whose life has taken a downturn.
“My brother was once the pillar of our family, building dreams brick by brick. Now he is a shadow of himself, haunted by what could have been. Politicians talk about development, but whose suffering fuels these court battles?” she questioned.
A trader, Maame Akosua, whose sachet water business once thrived on the daily activities of workers, has also been severely affected. Her once-busy stall now lies deserted, forcing her to resort to door-to-door hawking.
Dozens of youth gathered at the site, chanting and calling on Victor Mensah and Abusuapayin Ntoboah to pursue an out-of-court settlement.
“Let the lawyers feast elsewhere. Our education, jobs, and future are at stake,” they urged.
They emphasized the importance of human development through skills training, which they believe could rival opportunities in urban areas.
Municipal authorities have also echoed these concerns, noting that the dispute is negatively impacting investor confidence in the Central Region.
As the sun sets over the abandoned industrial park, the youth of Eguafo remain determined to intensify pressure on stakeholders, committed to reclaiming their future and restoring hope to their community.
