Obaa Yaa
We want the land back
Dear Obaa Yaah,
My parents bought eight plots of land from a chief who did not issue any receipt after payment but wrote in a book.
We farmed on the land and stopped for a while only to realise that the land had been developed by someone else.
We confronted the chief who promised to give us another place but he died.
We approached the acting chief who said he could give us three plots of land for GH¢7 billion. I paid GH¢4 billion, hoping to pay the rest in bits, which they agreed to but later noted that he would refund my money to me if a buyer with a good price comes around.
Obaa Yaa, I don’t have the money now to do a top-up because my parents have paid for it.
Jack, Tema
Dear Jack,
Since there are no relevant document between the two parties and besides the owner of the land is deceased, you should engage the services of a lawyer specialising in land disputes to guide you through the process.
Your lawyer can help you file a case in court to resolve the dispute.
Meanwhile, it will also be a great idea if you can raise the money needed for the land.
Dear Obaa Yaa,
We bumped into each other on orientation day as freshers on campus. I liked his smile, his choice of words, and charisma. I didn’t hesitate at all when he asked for my contact. Who wouldn’t want to be friends with a guy like this, I said to myself.
We texted more often, had conversations on phone, and our friendship literally grew very strong. We attended lectures together, studied together, hanged out together; everyone thought we were lovers.
He did everything for me—surprise dates, thoughtful gifts, pays my academic fees, and gives me a listening ear everyone would wish for.
One evening at a friend’s birthday party, standing in the middle of the audience, he proposed and asked me to be his girlfriend. I declined his proposal; this was because I have no feelings for him, and I just want us to be friends.
He is a man with good morals, so gentle, God-fearing, ambitious, a man every lady would wish for, but my heart just wasn’t in it. I wondered if love was supposed to be this complicated: the more he did, the more I felt like a friend, not a lover. He still wants me, but I want us to be just friends. What should I do?
Naa Kwarley, Kaneshie.
Dear Naa Kwarley,
This is a tough situation, and you’re handling it with both kindness and firmness.
Since you’ve already told him you’re not interested in a romantic relationship, it’s crucial to be clear and direct while still being respectful. I’d advise you to reiterate your feelings to him, emphasising that you value him as a person and appreciate what he’s done, but you see him more as a close friend. Make it clear that you hope you can still maintain a strong friendship, but it can’t be anything more.
It’s essential to be prepared for him to need space or time to process, so be patient and understanding.
Dear Obaa Yaa,
I am a regular reader of your highly esteemed paper and I would like to know whether some amount of money is paid to those who write short stories for publication on the children’s page of your Weekly Spectator.
I wrote a short story which was published last month, and my friends who saw it told me that a token will be paid to anyone whose story is published.
A.J., Kwabenya.
Dear A.J.,
We don’t pay for short stories published on our children’s page. That opportunity is to encourage school children to develop the habit of writing. We believe that by publishing their short stories, they’ll be encouraged to write more.
The paper is open to everyone who wants to share ideas or write about a concern.
