Ashanti Muslim Women accuses Interior Minister of “forceful” land takeover

The Ashanti Muslim Women Association has formally petitioned President John Dramani Mahama, seeking what it describes as urgent presidential intervention in the “unlawful construction and occupation” of land it lawfully owns at Buoban in the Asawasi Constituency of the Ashanti Region.

Addressing a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, women leaders of the association, Zainab Abubakar Owusu and Habibatu Iddris, accused the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed, of forcefully taking over their land without due constitutional process.

In their petition titled “Petition for Presidential Intervention in the Unlawful Construction and Occupation of Land Lawfully Owned by Our Organisation at Buoban, Asawasi (In Respect of the Actions of the Minister for the Interior, Hon. Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed)”, the group stated: “We, the Ashanti Muslim Women Association, stand before you today not as agitators, not as opponents of development, but as mothers, grandmothers, educators, and long-standing contributors to our community and nation.”

The association explained that it has “for over two decades… lawfully owned and managed” the parcel of land, which it said was acquired “in good faith and preserved with a clear vision, to advance educational and vocational opportunities, particularly for young women within our community.”

2015 proposal recalled

The group recounted that in 2015, discussions were initiated for the “voluntary release of portions of the land” to support the establishment of a proposed Nursing and Physician Assistant Training College. According to them, those talks were based “entirely on goodwill and voluntary cooperation.”

“There was no compulsory acquisition. There was no force. There was no executive directive. It was dialogue grounded in consent,” the petition emphasised.

However, the association noted that the proposal did not materialise because one of the parties involved formally rejected it, stating that it did not align with its organisational objectives.

“That rejection was respected. No one compelled them. No one accused them of being anti-development. No one forcibly took their land,” the statement added.

Allegations of forceful takeover

The women’s group alleged that the same land remains lawfully theirs but is being occupied without their consent.

“The very land that remains lawfully ours is now being taken by force by Hon. Muntaka Mubarak, not through transparent constitutional procedure, not through lawful acquisition, but through construction activities commenced without our consent,” they stated.

The petition questioned the legal basis of the current development, asking: “How does a voluntarily rejected proposal of 2015 now transform into a justification for unilateral occupation of our land in 2026?”

They further stressed that no Executive Instrument had been presented to them, nor had any lawful acquisition process been demonstrated.

“The Constitution sets clear requirements for compulsory acquisition: lawful authority, public purpose, proper publication, and fair process. None of these safeguards have been transparently presented to us,” the association argued.

Minister’s alleged declaration

According to the group, when they visited the land to seek clarification and register their objection, the Interior Minister publicly declared that he had taken the land and would not return it.

“The Honourable Minister publicly declared that he has taken the land and will not return it — not today, nor tomorrow,” the group said.They warned that such statements, if accurate, undermine public confidence in constitutional governance.

“When a Minister of State publicly declares that land has been taken and will not be returned, without reference to constitutional procedure, it creates fear, not only for us, but for every ordinary citizen who depends on the protection of property rights under the law,” the association said.

Unopposed to development

The association clarified that it is not against development, noting: “This matter is not about opposing development. We support education. We support community growth.”

It added that it had “structured development plans” for the land, particularly initiatives aimed at empowering young women, insisting: “The land is not idle. It is not abandoned. It is not without purpose.”

The group maintained that it was not seeking compensation but constitutional protection. “We are not here to negotiate compensation. We are not here to seek favour. We are here to seek protection under the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana,” they stated.

Presidential intervention

The Ashanti Muslim Women Association respectfully requested that all construction activities on their land be immediately halted, that a transparent and independent review of the ownership and acquisition status of the property be conducted, and that the constitutional safeguards governing property rights be upheld without exception.

They further indicated: “Authority does not override ownership. Public office does not suspend constitutional protection. And development cannot be built upon disregard for lawful rights.” They expressed confidence that “justice must prevail,” urging the President to ensure that constitutional governance and the rule of law are upheld in the matter.