Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has issued a fresh warning to private legal practitioners who continue to represent individuals challenging the owners
Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has issued a fresh warning to private legal practitioners who continue to represent individuals challenging the ownership of lands belonging to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Speaking at the University’s 59th Congregation in Kumasi, the Asantehene expressed profound displeasure over what he described as a growing and troubling trend of lawyers lending legitimacy to questionable claims against KNUST lands.
The Asantehene, who is also the Chancellor of the university and custodian of Asanteman lands, reminded the public that the issue of encroachment on KNUST lands is not new.
Five years ago, during a similar congregation ceremony, he delivered an unambiguous warning against individuals and groups attempting to seize portions of the university’s property.
Despite this, he said, the situation has persisted, with some individuals disguising themselves as Abusuapanin or family heads in order to lay dubious claims.
“Barely five years ago, in this very room, I issued a solemn and unequivocal warning against any encroachment upon the lands of KNUST. However, I have received reports indicating that some recalcitrant people continue to test our resolve,” Otumfuo stated.
The Asantehene accused some legal practitioners of knowingly aiding these false claimants by filing lawsuits that challenge the university’s lawful ownership.
He described such actions as unethical and a direct affront to the integrity of the legal profession.
According to him, the lawyers involved are fully aware that KNUST lands are institutional assets and not family properties, yet they continue to fan the dispute for personal or financial gains.
“Unfortunately, they get some lawyers to take these matters to court when they know that it shouldn’t be so… And yet lawyers, by their profession, take it to court to defend this, which is wrong,” he emphasized.
KNUST, established in 1952 and developed through lands released by the Golden Stool, has battled encroachment for decades as it continues to expand its academic and residential infrastructure to meet the growing educational demands. As Kumasi’s population increases and urban development stretches outward, the university’s vast land has become even more attractive to private developers and claimants.
The Asantehene insisted that the university’s lands remain critical to its long-term growth and must be safeguarded without compromise.
He cautioned that continued attempts to unlawfully acquire or litigate portions of KNUST property would provoke decisive action from Manhyia Palace
Land encroachment remains a longstanding challenge for many public universities across the country, including the University of Ghana and the University of Cape Coast, which have similarly battled private developers, family heads, and sometimes politically connected individuals attempting to appropriate school lands.
KNUST’s situation, however, carries added cultural and historical weight due to the involvement of the Golden Stool and the traditional authority of Asanteman.
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