- Well, sad to say - some companies, far from being a safe conduit, are actually out to steal your money, kill your investment and destroy your dreams.
Whether as part of a lifetime investment, a mix of a temporary savings portfolio or securing a peaceful house to make a home, we all at some point have thought about buying a piece of LAND.
In Ghana however, and knowing the complications that could arise in securing one and losing it, it is often considered safest buying from Estate Developers as a way of reducing the risk of total loss... or in most cases, just a means to pay premium costs in exchange for peace of mind on land acquisitions.
Well, sad to say - some companies, far from being a safe conduit, are actually out to steal your money, kill your investment and destroy your dreams. One such, worthy of note is REDROW DEVELOPMENTS LTD.
The purpose of these SERIES of posts is to help others avoid the losses I have suffered and equally encourage others to expose the rot in our land tenure system and indeed our society through fraudulent companies, individuals and families who are BACKED by some prominent persons in our very society whom we pay with our taxes - this evil must stop. Maybe not me, but many out there have lost life savings or become wrecks from some of these losses and have been cowered by societal norms into imprisonments of silence.
My journey started in 2012/13 when I first made contact with RedRow directly from the UK and then, via my representative in Ghana whom we shall call GY. It was the first time I had made a decision to relocate back home. They were a legally registered company, had a physical office, known to others, verified some of their Built estates, etc., etc.,
I chose two premium plots in Oyibi (Adamorobe site) to build an investment property and 2 bigger ones on the Aburi Slopes (Obosomase site) for a residence. Once GY, an engineer, had been to see the areas available and chosen the most suitable plots, I made payments, no hesitations - half to start the process and half on delivery of indentures. A few back and forths and my indentured were issued (under the hand of their Directors, Christopher Aryeetey and Ernest Quansah) - again, I made final payments pronto. That's when the real wahala started. Firstly, as soon as we attempted to start constructing the perimeter walls on the Oyibi land as a means of securing it, the LandGuards of the Families from which RedRow bought the land appeared - threatening and in some cases assaulting the workers. GY, then proceeded to go with them on one occasion to meet the chiefs to seek a direct redress as RedRow was not responding to our numerous complaints to resolve the matter - NO resolution even from the chiefs.
Since then, it's been calls, visits, emails, emissaries, threats, everything and anything one does in frustration to get a land he has fully paid for. On one of those trips from UK to resolve the matter in Ghana, we realised RedRow had moved from their office at the A&C mall - gave no notice to clients and proceeded doing business regardless. I eventually traced them to the Plant Pool area in Abelenkpe/Dzorwulu area in late 2017 (for those hunting for them). Paid them visits, threatened and commenced Legal proceedings - nothing. Just a weary drag.
Then, I threatened to go Public. That's when their Director, Christopher Aryeetey got in touch to say THEY were aware of issues with the Oyibi land and asked for a hold until February to have it resolved and that some big Government shots were involved so, he could guarantee it would all be resolved pronto. It never happened. In respect of the Aburi plots, not even my offer to pay for a land surveyor to do the demarcation (they were supposed gonna be done) yielded anything in spite of the many assurances "as for the Aburi lands, there are no problems" - Zilch!! Fluke!! Lies!!
Then their lawyer, one Alfred Mensah, contacted me when I requested for a take-back of the lands and a refund of amounts paid in current terms. He soon returned to make an offer for instalments, which my lawyer friend advised they put in writing - and that was it - one excuse after another after another after another - meetings cancelled, never got that arrangement in writing until Frustration v7.0 set in again so I said to him - "Stuff it"
To cut a rather long encounter short - 6 years later, Hundreds of frustrated attempts later, full payments later, all I have for the wounds is a set of indentures not worth the yellow papers they were printed on, no lands and a bunch of smooth talking, internet hyping fraudsters, still going around offering properties for sale to unsuspecting clients... Oh, and I haven't even talked about some of their Built Properties that are death traps. But that will soon be told.
And I wonder HOW IT IS for those for whom the investments they made and lost were their life savings, their investments for their children and family - how do they recover? How do they go on? Those who were buying for friends and family before it all went sour - how many relationships were destroyed... yet the perpetrators are walking around free and tall, duping many more...
My advise? If you have any intentions of buying land hassle-free, it is certainly not from RedRow Developments Limited. Save yourselves!!!
THIS, IS JUST THE BEGINNING...
Of your Good Measure, Pressed Down, Shaken together..........
#StopTheRedRowFrauds
#SHAREandSaveOthers
NB/PS: If you have personal stories to share, inbox them to me.
