TIG Post

Tag: Lands Commission

  • I’m yet to acquire a piece of land gifted me by Lands Commission 4 years ago – Pelpuo

    I’m yet to acquire a piece of land gifted me by Lands Commission 4 years ago – Pelpuo

    Dr. Rashid Pelpuo, the Minister-Designate for Labour, Jobs, and Employment, has revealed that he is in the process of officially acquiring a piece of land allocated to him by the Lands Commission for his service as a ranking member on the Lands Committee of Parliament four years ago.

    Appearing before the Appointments Committee today, the nominee stated that during his four-year tenure on the committee, it was customary for members, upon completing their service, to be allocated land by the Lands Commission.

    According to Dr. Pelpuo, he has taken steps to acquire the land but has yet to finalize the transaction.

    “I’ve made attempts to acquire it. They’re saying they will do the papers for me. I haven’t gotten the papers yet,” he said.

    https://twitter.com/GTV_Ghana/status/1884939604307939542

  • Lands Commission ordered to halt sale of state lands

    Lands Commission ordered to halt sale of state lands

    President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Lands Commission to immediately cease all activities related to the sale, lease, or processing of transactions involving state and public lands.

    This directive, issued through a statement dated January 10, 2025, and signed by Dr. Callistus Mahama, Secretary to the President, aims to protect state lands for the collective benefit of citizens and future generations.

    “All ongoing and pending transactions must be halted without delay to facilitate a comprehensive review of the current framework governing the management of State and Public Lands,” the statement emphasized.

    The Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission has also been instructed to submit a detailed report on all recent and ongoing transactions involving state and public lands to the Office of the President within 14 days of the communication.

  • Govt’s Cantonment land not occupied by Asaase Broadcasting Company – Lands Commission

    Govt’s Cantonment land not occupied by Asaase Broadcasting Company – Lands Commission

    The Lands Commission has provided clarity that Asaase Broadcasting Company Limited has never owned or occupied the property located at No. 7, 5th Circular Road in Cantonments.

    This clarification follows recent accusations from Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, who alleged that the property had been unlawfully acquired as part of state assets.

    In his claims, Mr. Ablakwa insinuated that the property had been wrongfully seized, prompting widespread public discussion.

    However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, September 10, the Lands Commission dismissed these assertions, stating that Asaase Broadcasting Company Limited has no ties to the property in question.

    The Commission also stressed that there is no ongoing legal battle concerning the land currently occupied by Asaase Broadcasting Company.

    This statement was made to clear up any misunderstandings about the property’s ownership and to ensure transparency on the issue.

    “The land described as No. 7, 5th Circular Road, Cantonments, which is the subject matter of Suit No. LD/0526/2023 intituled Judicial Service of Ghana v The Lands Commission, Frimps Oil Company Ltd and the Attorney-General is separate and distinct from the land occupied by Asaase Broadcasting Company Limited at Cantonments. This land has never been owned or occupied by Asaase Broadcasting Company Limited.”

    “Following the commencement of the Suit by the Judicial Service of Ghana, the Lands Commission, on 19th July 2023, applied for further and better particulars in respect of all the lands mentioned in the suit, and requested for the site plans of the said lands. This is because the Commission accurately identifies land by the appropriate site plans, and not by house numbers,” an excerpt of the statement said.

    The Lands Commission went on to explain that site plans submitted by the Judicial Service of Ghana reveal that the property at No. 7, 5th Circular Road, Cantonments, forms part of public land acquired for government purposes. The property was previously occupied by Justice F. G. Korbieh and is documented under a Certificate of Title issued on June 7, 1920.

    The Commission stated that the land has been designated for public use since its acquisition in 1920.

    “The land was subsequently developed into Government bungalows managed by the Ministry of Works and Housing, and allocated to staff of the public services as and when the need arises. Pursuant to an in-filling scheme undertaken by the Lands Commission, the Ministry of Works and Housing and the then Town and Country Planning Department (now Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority), at Cantonments and North Ridge Residential Areas in the early 2000s, the land which originally had only one bungalow was divided into four (4) parcels of land in order to increase the number of houses on the land.”

    “The Commission’s records indicate the following transactions in respect of the four (4) parcels of land: a. Parcel 1: Lease dated 6th August, 2015, between the President of the Republic of Ghana (as Lessor) and Litty Mart Enterprise (as Lessee) for a term of fifty (50) years; b. Parcel 2: Lease dated 17th May, 2011, between the President of the Republic of Ghana (as Lessor) and Kwabena Kuffour (as Lessee) for a term of fifty (50) years. By a Deed of Assignment made on 12th April, 2021, Kwabena Kuffour assigned his unexpired interest to Frederick Hermann Hesse-Tetteh; c. Parcel 3: Lease dated 15th May, 2012, between the President of the Republic of Ghana (as Lessor) and Silvercord Estates Limited (as Lessee) for a term of fifty (50) years. By a Deed of Surrender dated 10th February, 2021, Silvercord Estates Limited surrendered its interest in the land to the Republic and the land was leased to Hercules Capital Limited by a Lease dated 2nd February, 2021; and d. Parcel 4: No recorded transaction,” it further stated.

    LANDS COMMISSIONDownload
  • Lands Commission making it difficult to get info on govt lands, publicizing them– Ablakwa

    Lands Commission making it difficult to get info on govt lands, publicizing them– Ablakwa

    Government Assurances Committee of Parliament has harshly criticized the Lands Commission for its failure to deliver information on public lands and their usage over the years.

    The Committee contends that this data is essential for addressing fraudulent practices, including the misregistration of government lands as private property.

    During its meeting on Wednesday, July 31, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the committee chairman, noted that repeated attempts over the past two years to obtain these documents from the Lands Commission have been unsuccessful.

    “If this data is put together and provided, it will help all of us.

    These instances of government lands being registered as private lands and the fraud that is going on at the Lands Commission, as exposed by the Soul Enquirer, the only way to stem this, to prevent this, to forestall this, is to have the data, to put the data together.

    “That is why I am clear in my mind that there are elements at the Lands Commission who don’t want the Ghanaian people to have this data.”

    Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, offered an explanation for the delay in the Lands Commission’s release of the data.

    “The Lands Commission for all these years has been operating manually and it is just recently that we have started making efforts to digitise the records of the Lands Commission.

    “The information I have from the Commission since I gave them the instructions to compile this list is that compiling the list from the 16 regions of the Lands Commission across the country from 1993 to now is an extraordinary undertaking and therefore they have not been able to put it all together as yet.

    And so I am unable to provide it now, but there is work in progress.”

  • 14 Lands Commission staff relieved of their duties over stamp duty fraud 

    14 Lands Commission staff relieved of their duties over stamp duty fraud 

    Fourteen staff of the Lands Commission have been interdicted over their alleged involvement in fraudulent activities. The fraudulent scheme, detected in May 2022 by the Commission’s Audit Unit, revealed discrepancies in the tax figures paid by property owners during the registration of their properties.

    The alleged Stamp Duty fraud, amounting to an alleged GHS100 million tax loss, prompted swift action from the Commission. Mr. Benjamin Arthur, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Commission, announced the interdiction during the Executive Secretary’s Annual Briefing and launching of the Staff Awards Scheme in Accra on Friday.

    Subsequent investigations by the Commission revealed that the initially estimated tax loss had been exaggerated. Internal disciplinary action has been taken against the implicated staff members, who are currently undergoing court processes led by the National Investigations Bureau.

    In addition to the Stamp Duty fraud case, disciplinary procedures are being carried out against other Commission staff for fraudulent deletion and insertion of records, leading to false search reports.

    Mr. Arthur emphasized that while the Commission would provide the necessary job security for its staff, acts of indiscipline and fraud would not be condoned. He expressed the commitment of the management to assist state investigation bodies in weeding out any misconduct within the organization.

    The event also marked the unveiling of a five-year Business Strategic Plan (2023-2027) for the Commission. The plan outlines major goals, including enhancing financial sustainability, implementing digital reforms, and improving the competence and discipline of staff to elevate overall service delivery.

    Mr. Arthur announced the launch of an outreach program, the “You Deserve to Know” campaign, scheduled for this year. The campaign aims to educate the public about various aspects of the Commission’s operations, services, fees, and digital reform platforms. This initiative is expected to enhance the corporate image of the Commission, build public trust, and correct misconceptions about its role.

    The Acting Executive Secretary emphasized that the success of the corporate image redemption drive hinged on improvements in service delivery. He called for teamwork among staff and management to achieve the desired outcomes.

    Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, expressed confidence in the Commission’s leadership and highlighted the Ministry’s plans for the year, including the digital transformation of land administration activities, the completion of the new Lands Commission’s head office, and an enhancement of the Commission’s corporate image. He expressed belief that Ghanaians would vouch for the credibility and efficiency of the Commission in the near future.

  • 14 Lands Commission staff steal GHC100M in stamp duty fraud

    14 Lands Commission staff steal GHC100M in stamp duty fraud

    Fourteen staff members of the Lands Commission have been interdicted due to their involvement in Stamp Duty fraud.

    The fraudulent activities were uncovered in May 2022 when the Commission’s Audit Unit identified discrepancies in the tax figures paid by property owners for the registration of their properties.

    The fraud, suspected to have caused a tax loss of 100 million Ghana Cedis, is currently under investigation by the National Investigations Bureau.

    Acting Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mr. Benjamin Arthur, disclosed this information during the Executive Secretary’s Annual Briefing and launching of the Staff Awards Scheme in Accra on Friday.

    While acknowledging the fraud, the Commission clarified that further investigations revealed an exaggeration of the amount.

    The affected staff members are undergoing court processes, and internal disciplinary actions have been taken against them. Final disciplinary procedures are underway to determine their fate within the Commission, as stated by Mr. Arthur.

    Simultaneously, disciplinary procedures are being initiated against other Commission staff for fraudulent actions involving the deletion and insertion of records, aiming to produce false search reports.

    “It is important to state that while management will continue to provide the required job security for staff such acts of indiscipline and fraud will not be condoned,” he said.

    “Therefore, management will provide the state investigation bodies the required assistance to weed out the bad nuts amongst us,” Mr Arthur said.

    During the event, the Lands Commission unveiled a comprehensive five-year Business Strategic Plan spanning from 2023 to 2027, serving as a guiding framework for its operations. The strategic plan encompasses five primary goals, focusing on bolstering the Commission’s financial sustainability, implementing digital reforms, enhancing corporate image, and fostering competence and discipline among staff to elevate service delivery.

    Mr. Benjamin Arthur, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Commission, announced the upcoming launch of an outreach initiative named the “You Deserve to Know” campaign. This program aims to educate the public on various aspects of the Commission’s operations, services, and processes.

    The campaign will shed light on the Commission’s mandate, service delivery procedures, applicable service fees, digital reform platforms, and more. The objective is to improve the corporate image of the Commission, build public awareness, and foster trust and confidence in its operations.

    In addition, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Benito Owusu-Bio,outlined the Ministry’s plans for the year. These include the digital transformation of land administration activities, the completion and commissioning of the new Lands Commission’s head office in April, and efforts to enhance the Commission’s corporate image.

    He expressed confidence in the leadership of the Commission, believing it is moving in the right direction.

  • Land grabbin: Bestlink Ventures ‘fights’ Nii Okpe family’s land registration

    Land grabbin: Bestlink Ventures ‘fights’ Nii Okpe family’s land registration

    Bestlink Ventures Limited, represented by its solicitors, has filed a petition with the Lands Commission to contest the registration of land in favor of Nii Okpe Family. 

    In a letter addressed to the Regional Lands Officer, the company seeks the cancellation of Certificate Number TD 21159 issued to Nii Okpe Family, citing errors in the registration process.

    Bestlink Ventures Limited asserts ownership of a parcel of land situated at East Oyibi, measuring approximately 176.187 acres, which it purchased from the late Kwesi Ofosu Aduo of Accra. 

    The company submitted a land title application in 2015, which has remained in abeyance for five years without apparent cause.

    According to the solicitors, a recent letter from the Lands Registration Division dated June 5, 2023, informed Bestlink Ventures that its land is now affected by a Land Certificate issued to Nii Okpe Family with Certificate No. TD. 21159, Volume 020, and Folio 208. The company contends that the entire parcel is covered by a transaction documented at the Public and Vested Land Management Division, with evidence dating back to 1990.

    The petition questions the legitimacy of the registration of Nii Okpe Family, alleging errors such as the inclusion of a statutory declaration dated February 28, 1994, which was already accounted for in a prior lease. The solicitors argue that Bestlink Ventures and its grantor were not parties in the case that led to the judgment in favor of Nii Ashitey Saasabi in 2015.

    Article 23 of the 1992 Constitution, cited in the petition, emphasizes the need for administrative bodies to act fairly and reasonably, with individuals having the right to seek redress in court or tribunal if aggrieved. Article 296 further outlines the principles guiding discretionary powers, emphasizing fairness, non-arbitrariness, and compliance with due process.

    Bestlink Ventures, therefore, requests a thorough investigation into the application processes of both parties, urging the Lands Commission to cancel the Land Certificate issued to Nii Okpe Family. The company asserts that the issuance was an error and looks forward to the commission’s cooperation in resolving the land ownership dispute.

  • Parliamentary Service urges transparency in probing attempted sale of Speaker’s residence

    Parliamentary Service urges transparency in probing attempted sale of Speaker’s residence

    The Ghanaian Parliamentary Service, has said that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources’ inquiry into the Speaker’s residence’s attempted sale needs to determine who made the attempt to sell and who the possible buyer was.

    Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, disclosed that he was on the verge of selling his Accra home to a private developer while he was still residing there.

    Speaking on Monday at the Speaker’s Breakfast Forum in Accra, he said that this wasn’t until the developer went to register the land with the Lands Commission.

    However, the Lands Commission, in a statement, insisted that “at no point in time was the said property sold to a private developer by the Lands Commission.”

    On Tuesday, November 21, 2023, Lands Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor launched an investigation by summoning top officials from the Lands Commission to gather firsthand information about the attempted sale of the speaker’s residence to a private developer, as reported by Citi News.

    The Parliamentary Service, in a statement issued on Wednesday, said, “We are encouraged by the decision of the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources to investigate this matter and hope the investigations will establish who attempted to sell and who the potential buyer was.”

    The Service went on to say that openness in the situation was crucial to maintaining public trust in government agencies.

  • Lands Minister summons Lands Commission boss over alleged sale of Speaker Bagbin’s residence

    Lands Minister summons Lands Commission boss over alleged sale of Speaker Bagbin’s residence

    The Lands Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has requested the presence of some top officials of the Lands Commission to obtain first-hand information on the attempted sale of Speaker Bagbin’s residence in Cantonments to a private developer.

    Speaker Alban Bagbin, while at the Speaker’s Breakfast Forum on Monday, disclosed that his residence was almost sold to a private developer.

    He revealed that the attempt to sell came to light when the developer sought to register the land at the Lands Commission.

    “Many of you don’t know that even the residence of the Speaker was almost sold to the private sector. Actually, it was given out. It was when they went to register that the Lands Commission identified that that was the residence of the Speaker. Luckily, I was inside, so it was saved,” he stated.

    However, some tabloids in their reportage have asserted that the Speaker’s residence was indeed sold.

    The Lands Commission, in response, has denied that any such transaction occurred.

    In a press statement dated November 20 and signed by Acting Executive Director, Benjamin Arthur, the Commission explained that the land in question was acquired in 1920 by a Certificate of Title, dated 7th June, 1920 for Government services.

    Since 2003, the land has always been used as the official residence of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament.

    By an application dated 15th November, 2022, and numbered PS/LS/002/12/22, Parliamentary Service applied for a Certificate of Allocation to regularise their occupation of the land, which measures approximately 1.66 acres.

    At its sixty-fourth (64th) Regular Meeting held on 22nd December, 2022, the Regional Lands Commission approved the application after all statutory processes, including planning approval from the La Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly, had been duly concluded.

    On 14th February, 2023, the Lands Commission said it made an offer of allocation to Parliamentary Service.

    “Parliamentary Service accepted the offer, and after paying the requisite fees, a Certificate of Allocation, dated 28th April, 2023 was issued to Parliamentary Service,” the statement added.

    The Lands Commission therefore noted that it is “unaware of any purported sale of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament’s official residence to a private developer”.

    The Commission has reiterated its commitment to the prudent and efficient management of public lands in the national interest, and promote effective land administration that is anchored on the highest standards of integrity, transparency and candour.

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  • Speaker Bagbin’s residence was not sold to a private developer – Lands Commission

    Speaker Bagbin’s residence was not sold to a private developer – Lands Commission

    The Lands Commission has denied reports indicating that the Speaker of Parliament’s official residence at Cantonments was ever sold to a private developer.

    Speaker Alban Bagbin, while at the Speaker’s Breakfast Forum on Monday, disclosed that his residence was almost sold to a private developer.

    He revealed that the attempt to sell came to light when the developer sought to register the land at the Lands Commission.

    “Many of you don’t know that even the residence of the Speaker was almost sold to the private sector. Actually, it was given out. It was when they went to register that the Lands Commission identified that that was the residence of the Speaker. Luckily, I was inside, so it was saved,” he stated.

    However, some tabloids in their reportage have asserted that the Speaker’s residence was indeed sold.

    The Lands Commission, in response, has denied that any such transaction occurred.

    In a press statement dated November 20 and signed by Acting Executive Director, Benjamin Arthur, the Commission explained that the land in question was acquired in 1920 by a Certificate of Title, dated 7th June, 1920 for Government services.

    Since 2003, the land has always been used as the official residence of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament.

    By an application dated 15th November, 2022, and numbered PS/LS/002/12/22, Parliamentary Service applied for a Certificate of Allocation to regularise their occupation of the land, which measures approximately 1.66 acres.

    At its sixty-fourth (64th) Regular Meeting held on 22nd December, 2022, the Regional Lands Commission approved the application after all statutory processes, including planning approval from the La Dadekotopon Municipal Assembly, had been duly concluded.

    On 14th February, 2023, the Lands Commission said it made an offer of allocation to Parliamentary Service.

    “Parliamentary Service accepted the offer, and after paying the requisite fees, a Certificate of Allocation, dated 28th April, 2023 was issued to Parliamentary Service,” the statement added.

    The Lands Commission therefore noted that it is “unaware of any purported sale of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament’s official residence to a private developer”.

    The Commission has reiterated its commitment to the prudent and efficient management of public lands in the national interest, and promote effective land administration that is anchored on the highest standards of integrity, transparency and candour.

    Lands-CommissionDownload
  • Family offers GHC100,000 for information on missing Lands Commission employee

    Family offers GHC100,000 for information on missing Lands Commission employee

    The family of Rhodaline Amoah Darko, a Senior Lands Administrative Officer missing for over two years, has announced a GH¢100,000 reward for any information leading to her whereabouts.

    Her spouse, Dr. Wilberforce Aggrey, employed in the Petroleum Department at KNUST, is currently facing trial for alleged kidnapping at the Kumasi High Court.

    In 2022, preliminary investigations had implicated Dr. Wilberforce Aggrey in an alleged kidnapping note, and police also accused him of sending text messages from his wife’s phone, apparently from a location near his KNUST Campus residence.

    However, he was discharged by the Court in February 2022 but was subsequently re-arrested to face new charges at the Kumasi High Court, where he was granted bail.

    In addition, Justice Appiah and Yaw Amoateng, accused of selling and purchasing a phone belonging to the missing Rhodaline Darko, are also standing trial.

    The Kumasi High Court is scheduled to resume the case on November 13, 2023, following multiple adjournments.

  • Lands Commission Office in Winneba catches fire

    Lands Commission Office in Winneba catches fire

    On Saturday, officers of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) responded to a fire distress call at the Lands Commission office at Gyatafrom, a suburb of Winneba.

    Upon arrival at the scene, the rescue team confined the fire and prevented it from further spreading.

    The fire is suspected to have been caused by power surge. The flames caused damage to the main switch, ceiling fan, and an air conditioner.

    However, no casualty was recorded as the remaining offices and their contents were salvaged from fire ruins by the gallant firefighters.

  • Bawumia commissions Tamale International Airport

    Bawumia commissions Tamale International Airport

    The Tamale International Airport Phase II Project has been officially launched by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia at a festive ceremony in the northern region’s capital.

    The project is facilitated under the aegis of the UK-Ghana Business Council (UKGBC), which was founded in 2018 and co-chaired by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. It is a part of the government’s infrastructure development programme for the aviation sector, which aims to advance the aviation industry’s boundaries and establish Ghana as the aviation hub in the West African Sub-Region.

    Dr. Bawumia, who broke ground on the Tamale International Airport Phase II project on August 15, 2019, expressed his happiness that it had been finished four years later.

    “This project is so dear to the Government and particularly the hard-working people of the Northern Region and its trading partners across the length and breadth of the country and the Sub-Region,” Dr Bawumia stated at the Commissioning, held on Tuesday, August 22, 2023.

    He added, “The completion of this ultra-modern terminal building together with a multi-purpose Terminal and other ancillary facilities are expected to provide the needed impetus for increased economic trading activities and to re-inforce the status of Tamale as a Sub-Saharan Hub Airport for flights to and from neigbouring West African countries and the Sahel Region. The Tamale International Airport will serve as an alternative to the Kotoka International Airport.”

    An approximately 5,000 square metre expandable, ultra-modern airport terminal building with an annual passenger throughput of 400,000, a multi-purpose terminal (Hajj Facility), a 5 km single carriageway access road, a 330 space parking garage, a technical hub to manage electricity, waste water treatment, and other essentials, as well as other ancillary facilities, are among the projects that have been undertaken at the airport.

    The New Terminal Building has a VIP lounge, two boarding gates, two self-service check-in kiosks, eight check-in desks, airline offices, and commercial retail spaces, among other amenities.

    The cost of the Tamale Airport Phase II Project’s work is $70 million, which is considerably less than the $110 million cost incurred under Phase I, which was completed between 2014 and 2016. However, the scope of those works, which included extending the runway by one kilometre, installing lights, and partially enclosing the airport, were smaller.

    The Vice President noted that the Northern Region is well known for its thriving agricultural and economic activities and that the airport’s location within the Sahelian belt, also known as Ghana’s food basket, is expected to improve access to markets for local agricultural products, boost tourism, and draw visitors from nearby countries.

    “Indeed, Government intends to use Tamale International Airport to support the programmes of the Northern Development Authority (NDA) of Ghana to harness fresh agricultural produce for export to other parts of the world and to generate employment and create wealth in this geographical zone.

    “The boost in agriculture would be leveraged to support the development of Agro-based industries in Northern Ghana. The expansion of the Tamale International Airport is expected to serve as a catalyst for industrialization and rapid socio-economic development.

    “It is my hope that other service providers will leverage the completion of this project to invest in other areas such as the establishment of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, development of cargo facilities and cold stores for export of fresh produce and establishment of Aviation Training Organization (ATO) among others.”

    Dr. Bawumia continued that the airport’s expansion is strategically important because it will make it easier for Muslims to travel to Mecca for their yearly pilgrimage.

    “Significantly, it is also expected that the Tamale International Airport will make Tamale the Hajj hub in Ghana and facilitate seamless travel directly to Saudi Arabia for the seasonal pilgrimage to Mecca. It is gratifying to note that the multi-Purpose Terminal, which was completed in 2022, has been used in facilitating Hajj Pilgrims in 2022 and 2023.”

    Vice President expressed concern about the widespread encroachment on airport lands, warning that it threatens future expansion of our airports and could hamper rescue efforts in the unlikely event of an accident.

    “The operators and regulators of our airports, as well as, the Lands Commission need to work closely together to ensure that airport lands are properly protected and well managed not only for future airport expansion but also to safeguard lives and property in the unlikely event of an accident occurring at or around the airport enclave. I therefore charge the authorities involved to enforce the law and I also entreat all citizens to cooperate for us to fully benefit from the development of the aviation sector,” he stated.

    The Minister for Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, urged airline operators in the subregion and beyond to take advantage of the increasing aviation offerings in Ghana, promising them an “unmatched travel experience” to – and in – Ghana.

  • James Dadson bows out as Lands Commission Executive Secretary

    James Dadson bows out as Lands Commission Executive Secretary

    The Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, Surv. James Ebo Dadson, after 30 years of outstanding service, has officially bowed out and gracefully handed over the baton to Mr. Benjamin Arthur as the new Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission. 

    In a brief handover ceremony that took place at the Commission on Monday, August 21st, 2023, Hon. Benito Owusu-Bio, representing the Lands Minister, Samuel A. Jinapor, extended commendations for the significant accomplishments achieved by the outgoing Executive Secretary.

    Mr Owusu-Bio praised Surv. Dadson’s notable contributions to the advancement of land administration in the nation. Notably, he disclosed that Mr. Dadson would continue his contributions as a Consultant at the Ministry, aiding in the transformation of the land system within the country.

    Mr Owusu-Bio encouraged the Commission’s staff to provide unwavering support to the new Executive Secretary and to collaborate harmoniously to ensure his success.

    Surv. James Dadson, in turn, expressed gratitude to the Lands Minister and the Commission for granting him the opportunity to serve the nation. He highlighted the pivotal role that teamwork and diligent effort played in his achievements, underscoring the importance of these principles across the Commission’s various departments.

    He expressed optimism that the strong bonds forged among colleagues would persist even in his absence, thereby enhancing work output and further instilling public trust.

    On his part, the new Acting Executive Secretary, Mr. Ben Arthur, accepted the responsibility with profound appreciation and assured the gathering of his readiness to achieve even greater accomplishments.

    During the ceremony, the Chairman of the Lands Commission Board, along with Directors and other staff members, took turns offering well wishes to both the departing and incoming Executive Secretaries. Others also shared cherished memories and experiences they had with Mr. James Dadson as he embarked on this new phase.

  • Lands Ministry does not contract land guards to reclaim encroached lands – Jinapor

    Lands Ministry does not contract land guards to reclaim encroached lands – Jinapor

    The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has refuted allegations made by the Minority Caucus in Parliament regarding steps taken to reclaim encroached government lands.

    The Minority members of the Lands and Forestry Committee of Parliament accused the government of enlisting the services of land guards for the retrieval and protection of government lands, citing statements made by the Chief Director of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Professor Patrick Agbesinyale, during a meeting with the Committee.

    Addressing the media, the Deputy Ranking Member on the Lands and Forestry Committee of Parliament, Alhassan Suhuyini bemoaned the lack of commitment on the part of the government to combat land guard activities.

    “The other shocking revelation according to the Chief Director is that even the Ghana Armed Forces and the Police use this same land guard to protect their lands. So, if the military and the police cannot protect their own lands and have to resort to the use of a land guard, then what will be the fate of the common Ghanaian who wants to acquire land and is faced with land guards?” he quizzed.

    However, the Ministry has denied these claims and emphasized that it does not employ land guards or condone any illegal activities in relation to land protection.

    In a statement shortly after news made the rounds, the Lands Ministry revealed that through its agency, the Lands Commission legally engaged the services of Aynok Holding Limited, a registered limited liability company to assist in reclaiming encroached government lands. 

    This engagement, the ministry said, has been in effect since 2012.

    “We wish to categorically state that Government and by extension, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources employs legal processes to reclaim all encroached state lands,” the statement added.

    Source: The Independent Ghana | Andy Ogbarmey-Tettey

  • Lands Commission ordered to delete registration records of 21st Century company to resolve Gomoa Fetteh land litigation

    Lands Commission ordered to delete registration records of 21st Century company to resolve Gomoa Fetteh land litigation

    The Court of Appeal in Accra has issued an order to the Central Regional Lands Commission, requiring them to remove the name of 21 Century Company from their records.

    This directive aims to bring an end to a 13-year-long land litigation case concerning the Gomoa Fetteh Land.

    The legal dispute originated in September 2005 when the Chiefs of Gomoa Fetteh applied to the High Court in Cape Coast, leading to a mandamus order that compelled the Lands Commission to register the land documents of 21st Century Company and its affiliated companies, as well as the documents provided to their customers.

    Due to the Lands Commission’s failure to register the mentioned lands, the chiefs filed a motion alleging contempt of court. Subsequently, the involved parties submitted terms of settlement to the court.

    In response, the Lands Commission published a notice in the Daily Graphic on June 18, 2020, announcing their intention to delete the land registrations of affected individuals. However, the chiefs argue that the 21-day notice period elapsed without any action from the commission to remove their names, prompting them to escalate the matter back to court.

    During a court hearing presided over by Justice Poku-Acheampng, Justice Kyei Baffour, and Justice Archer, the Lands Commission was ordered to delete the land registration records pertaining to portions of land in Gomoa Fetteh.

    In a press conference, Nana Abor Atta II, the Twafohene of the Gomoa Akyempim Traditional Council and Chief of Gomoa Fetteh, disclosed that in the early 1990s, Kofi Asmah, the manager of 21st Century, acquired 3,000 acres of land from the chiefs of Gomoa Fetteh for estate development.

    However, an error occurred, and the Lands Commission mistakenly registered over 12,000 acres of land for the company without the chiefs’ knowledge.

    The chiefs of Gomoa Fetteh took the matter to court and have legally fought for the right thing to be done for the past 13 years.

    Nana Abor Atta II appealed to the Lands Commission to do their investigations well before registering Lands for individuals and estate companies to reduce land litigations in the area.

    Meanwhile Omankrado of Gomoa Fetteh, Nana Kwesi Quansah, also appealed to the IGP to call some personnel of the Ghana Police Service to order when it comes to their style of arrests.

    Nana Kwesi Quansah says some police officers are still used to the ‘rambo style of arrest’ during their operations.

  • Teshie family clarifies media report on Supreme Court’s ruling on land case

    Teshie family clarifies media report on Supreme Court’s ruling on land case

    In a statement signed by the Head of the Numo Nmaishie Family, Daniel Nii Adzetey Adjei, it stated that contrary to the reportage that all the 70 lands in question were taken away from them, the number was rather 17.

    “The publication alleged that the Supreme Court in a unanimous decision dismissed claims by the Numo Nmaishie family of Teshie for the ownership of over 72,000 acres of land in Accra Eastern regions which comprises about 70 townships and villages in the Greater Accra Region.

    “Your reportage also stated that the court further directed that the name of the Numo Nmaishie Family be deleted from the records of the Lands Commission as being owners of the 72,000 acres of land.

    “The Numo Nmaishie family wants to state without any equivocation that, your publication is not wholly accurate as per the judgment given by the Apex Court.

    “We would like to put on record that the Supreme Court did not take away all the 70 towns and villages which belong to the Numo Nmaishie family, the court only took 17 out of the 70 towns and villages,” the statement said.

    The statement also indicated that the claim that the Supreme Court had ordered the Lands Commission of Ghana to delete the family’s name from its records is not accurate.

    They explain that, that directive was only in respect of the 17 lands that the Supreme Court ruled were no longer in their family name.

    “Again, the Supreme Court did not direct the Lands Commission to delete from its records the Numo Nmaishie family as owners of the remaining towns/villages/lands.

    “The Apex Court’s directives to the commission to strike out the Numo Nmaishie family’s name from its records only applied to the 17 affected areas,” the statement added.

    Read the full statement by the Numo Nmaishie Family of Teshie below:

    Our attention has been drawn to a publication of your media outfit carried on the 29th May 2023 in respect of the above subject which you copied from – Myjoyonline.com and has been re-published by other online portals notably among them being Modern Ghana.

    I wish to bring to your attention that your headline as stated above and some paragraphs attributed to the court are very misleading and do not represent facts as expressed in the judgment.

    The publication alleged that the Supreme Court in a unanimous decision dismissed claims by the Numo Nmaishie family of Teshie for the ownership of over 72,000 acres of land in Accra Eastern regions which comprises about 70 townships and villages in the Greater Accra Region.

    Your reportage also stated that the court further directed that the name of the Numo Nmaishie Family be deleted from the records of the Lands Commission as being owners of the 72,000 acres of land.

    The Numo Nmaishie family wants to state without any equivocation that, your publication is not wholly accurate as per the judgment given by the Apex Court.

    We would like to put on record that the Supreme Court did not take away all the 70 towns and villages which belong to the Numo Nmaishie family, the court only took 17 out of the 70 towns and villages.

    Again, the Supreme Court did not direct the Lands Commission to delete from its records the Numo Nmaishie family as owners of the remaining towns/villages/lands.

    The Apex Court’s directives to the commission to strike out the Numo Nmaishie family’s name from its records only applied to the 17 affected areas which are:

    1. Baatsonaa- Page 22 (Paragraph 45)

    2. Madina – Page 23 (Paragraph 47)

    3. Bawaleshie- Page 23 (Paragraph 47)

    4. Mpehuasem- Page 23 (Paragraph 47)

    5. Frafraha- Page 24 (Paragraph 48)

    6. Paapao-Page 24 (Paragraph 49)

    7. Haatso- Page 24 (Paragraph 49)

    8. Ashongman-Page 24 (Paragraph 49)

    9. Oyarifa- Page 24 (Paragraph 49)

    10. Adenta-Page 24 (Paragraph 49)

    11. Pantang-Page 25 (Paragraph 50)

    12. Danfa-Page 25 (Paragraph 50)

    13. Adoteiman-Page 25 (Paragraph 50)

    14. Otinibi-Page 25 (Paragraph 50)

    15. Ashalley Botwe-Page 27 (Paragraph 54)

    16. Teshie Artillery Range- Page 27(Paragraph 54)

    17. Kpeshie Ridge -Page 28 (Paragraph 55) from it.

    Below are portions of the ruling which can be found on pages 30 and 31

    “VARIATION OF THE JUDGMENT OF THE TRIAL COURT

    (58) While we substantially affirm the findings of fact and conclusion reached by the Trial Court that the judgment in Suit No.49/80 which proclaimed the 3 Defendant Family as owners of the said seventy (70) villages and land comprising over 72,000 acres was procured by fraud, it must be clarified that, this decision does not affect the issue of entitlement to compensation determined in KLU VS. AGYEMANG III (supra) wherein the then Court of Appeal pronounced that the 3rd Defendant Numo Nmashie Family, own the about 25 acres which constitute the acquisition area. By upholding the Plaintiff’s allegation of fraud therefore, this court must not be misconstrued as having held that, the aspect of the judgment of the then Court of Appeal which proclaimed the Numo Nmashie Family’s entitlement to compensation is also fraudulent. That issue has never been contested since the decision was delivered.

    (59) We further make the following consequential orders: a. The pronouncements and declarations herein made in favour of the numerous families and stools, most of whom are not parties to the instant suit, should be treated merely as declaratory. That is, our judgment is not to open the flood gates, for attempts to recover possession and trigger demolition orders, particularly in relation to grantees of the 3rd Defendant Family in respect of some of the lands we have pronounced as not falling within the scope of the judgment in Suit No.49/80. IN RE ADJANCOTE ACQUISITION, KLU VS. AGYEMAN III (supra).

    b. All persons who have acquired grants from the Numo Nmashie Family in areas which by this judgment have been held not to belong to the said 1st and 2nd Defendants and 3 Defendant Family and have taken possession of those pieces of lands shall not be dispossessed of their interest. They shall, however, atone tenant to the relevant stool or family as per the decision reached in this judgment and other like cases on them.

    c. We further affirm the order of the Trial Court that the name of the 3rd Defendant, the Numo Nmashie Family be deleted from the records of the Lands Commission as being owners of the lands afore-declared as not forming part of the Numo Nmashie Family land.”

    The Numo Nmashie Family will, therefore, be very grateful if you could give this rejoinder the same prominence to help erase the wrong impression carried in your earlier publication.

    Counting on your cooperation.

    ..Signed…
    DANIEL NII ADZETEY ADJEI
    (Head of Numo Nmashie Family of Teshie)

  • OccupyGhana yet to receive data on reclaimed state land from Lands Commission

    OccupyGhana yet to receive data on reclaimed state land from Lands Commission

    A pressure organization, OccupyGhana, has written to the Lands Commission requesting information on abandoned state lands.

    After OccupyGhana brought the Lands Commission before the Right to Information Commission (RIC) after its application to obtain information on returned state lands was denied, the RIC ordered the Lands Commission to provide OccupyGhana with information on “returned” State lands.

    But OccupyGhana in a statement said, the Lands Commission is yet to comply with the directives of the RIC.

    It has thus reminded the Lands Commission to provide the information in accordance with the RIC’s orders.

    “Today marks eight days since the Right to Information Commission (RTIC) delivered the ruling that ordered you to release the information to us within 14 days. In our 2 March 2023 letter, we also brought the ruling to your attention, and inquired when we may receive the information. We have not heard from you on these requests. We will send you daily reminders until you deliver the information to us”, OccupyGhana stressed in its statement.

    The RIC also slapped an ‘administrative fine’ of GH¢100,000 on the Lands Commission for earlier denying OccupyGhana the request.

    OccupyGhana rejected the move by the Lands Commission to return Achimota Forest lands to the alleged owners, questioning its legality and constitutionality.

    The RIC in its ruling on March 1, 2023, amongst others ordered the Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission to provide information on all public lands which government’s ownership has been relinquished but this yet to be done.

    “And if the 14 days expire without you giving us the information, we will take all steps available to us under the law to ensure that you comply with the RTIC’s orders”, Occupy Ghana continued.

    Find full statement below

    Our Ref: OG/2023/013

    9 March 2023
    The Ag Executive Secretary
    Lands Commission
    Accra

    Attention: James E K Dadson

    Dear Sir:

    RE: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION CONCERNING RELEASED OR RELINQUISHED LANDS

    This is to follow up on our letter to you dated 2 March 2023 (our ref: OG/2023/011) on the above matter.

    Today marks eight days since the Right to Information Commission (RTIC) delivered the ruling that ordered you to release the information to us within 14 days. In our 2 March 2023 letter, we also brought the ruling to your attention, and inquired when we may receive the information. We asked that if the information was in hardcopy, you let us know the total cost of it so that we may pay for and collect it. We also asked that if it is in softcopy, you let us know when, and to whom, we may submit a hard drive on which you will install the information.

    We have not heard from you on these requests. We will send you daily reminders until you deliver the information to us. And if the 14 days expire without you giving us the information, we will take all steps available to us under the law to ensure that you comply with the RTIC’s orders.

    Yours in the service of God and Country

    OccupyGhana

    cc. The Chairman
    Lands Commission
    Accra

    The Executive Secretary
    Right to Information Commission
    Accra

  • OccupyGhana to provide regular reminders for Lands Commission’s information request

    OccupyGhana to provide regular reminders for Lands Commission’s information request

    OccupyGhana, a pressure organization, has promised to remind the Lands Commission about their request for information about released or abandoned lands in Ghana every day.

    According to the group, it has been eight days since the Right to Information Commission (RTIC) issued a judgement directing the Lands Commission to provide the requested material to them within 14 days. Today is March 9, 2023.

    In a statement released today, the group promised to “send you daily reminders until you deliver the information to us,” and further stated that “if the 14 days pass without you giving us the information, we will take all steps available to us under the law to ensure that you comply with the RTIC’s orders.”

    OccupyGhana’s statement

    Dear Sir:

     RE: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION CONCERNING RELEASED OR RELINQUISHED LANDS

    This is to follow up on our letter to you dated 2 March 2023 (our ref: OG/2023/011) on the above matter.

    Today marks eight days since the Right to Information Commission (RTIC) delivered the ruling that ordered you to release the information to us within 14 days. In our 2 March 2023 letter, we also brought the ruling to your attention, and inquired when we may receive the information. We asked that if the information was in hardcopy, you let us know the total cost of it so that we may pay for and collect it. We also asked that if it is in softcopy, you let us know when, and to whom, we may submit a hard drive on which you will install the information.

    We have not heard from you on these requests. We will send you daily reminders until you deliver the information to us. And if the 14 days expire without you giving us the information, we will take all steps available to us under the law to ensure that you comply with the RTIC’s orders.

    Yours in the service of God and Country
    OccupyGhana

  • NIB officials arrest 9 Lands Commission employees, 7 others over alleged theft of GHC 100m

    NIB officials arrest 9 Lands Commission employees, 7 others over alleged theft of GHC 100m

    About 16 persons, including nine employees from the Lands Commission have been arrested by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) officials over their alleged involvement in the stealing of 500 draft cheques meant for the Land Commission of Ghana.

    According to a news report by the Daily Guide newspaper, the 16 suspects were part of a 21-member syndicate involved in stealing cheques worth around GHC 100 million belonging to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

    The report indicated that the suspects were arrested between January 2023 and February 2023 after a petition was filed against them for crimes they committed from 2021 to 2023.

    It added that all the suspects were charged with three counts, including conspiracy to commit crime, stealing, and money laundering, contrary to Sections 23(1) and 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29) and Section 1 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2020 (Act 1044), stealing contrary to Section 124 (1) of the Criminal Offences Act 1960, Act (29) and Money Laundering: Contrary to Section 1 of Anti-money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044).

    It was stated in the report that the suspects included Frederick Okai, Gideon Obeng Mensah, Andrews Tettey Antwi, Frank Kwame Darko, Jude Odoom Yamoah, Emmanuel Mawuli Bani, and Jephther Sanso Akyea, all staff of the commission.

    The remaining suspects are Gilbert Fongadje Awuvie, Isaac Karikari Junior alias Bonsu, Sani Mohammed Issah, David Maanyin Antoh, Kofi Armoo Okyne, Samson Sebrah, Frank Debrah alias Franko, Emmanuel Ketigoa, and Nutifafa Asare Kojo.

    It added that five of the suspects, including Alfred Amarquaye, Jason Hassan Degalu, Mary Kish Bagbodjan, Leslie Bruce, and Adams, escaped arrest and are currently at large.

    It was stated in the report that the nine suspects, who were staff of the Land Commission, conspired with the other suspects, including private businessmen, a banker with First National Bank, the Chief Executive Officer of the Air State Company Limited and a staff at the Tema Development Company Limited to commit the crime.

    The suspects, according to sources at the NIB, paid draft cheques ranging from GHC 20,000 to GHC 2,500,000 to the other accomplices at the Lands Commission rather than paying them to the commission, thereby denying the GRA the much-needed revenue.

    They agreed and were able to manipulate the software of the Lands Commission to show that the said payments were made to the commission, but that did not happen.

    “The draft cheques were thereafter handed over to Emmanuel Ketigo through Samson Debrah and Frank Debrah, who took the cheques to clearing agents at the Tema Harbour, wherefore the said cheques were used to pay import duties for importers.

    “Thereafter, Emmanuel Ketigo received physical cash of the face value of the cheques, and the monies were shared among themselves based in percentage, with Emmanuel taking 15 percent of the face of the cheques, the first-nine suspects taking 40-45 percent whilst the remaining 40-45 per cent were shared among the remaining suspects,” a source is quoted to have said by the Daily Guide.

    The suspect told the NIB that they used the proceeds from their criminal venture to buy houses and other properties in Greater Accra, the Eastern and Central Regions.

    It added that suspects are still in the custody of the NIB, having failed to meet their GHC 2 million bail terms.

  • Businessman remanded over sale of State land worth GH¢385,000

    Businessman remanded over sale of State land worth GH¢385,000

    A businessman who allegedly collected GH¢385,000 from his colleague under the pretext of securing him with a parcel of land at Cantonment but failed, has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.

    According to the Police, checks at the Lands Commission indicated that the land belonged to the State.

    Daniel Tortor Torgbor, charged with defrauding by false pretences, has pleaded not guilty.

    The court presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah has remanded Torgbor into Police custody to reappear on January 16.

    Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Agatha A. Asantewaa said Robert Adum Yeboah, the complainant, was a businessman and an Estate Developer based in Accra.

    The prosecution said Torgbor was also a businessman and an Estate developer residing in Accra.

    It said in 2016, Mr Yeboah was approached by one George Abu Kandala and Issah Boti, both Estate Agents, who informed him that there was a parcel of land at Cantonment for sale.

    The prosecution said the complainant expressed interest and was introduced to the accused persons as the owner of the said piece of land.

    It said the complainant subsequently negotiated with the accused and they agreed on $700,000 for the acre of land.

    The prosecution said Torgbor demanded and collected GH¢385,000 equivalent $100,000 to enable him to prepare documents covering the land but he failed.

    It said checks at the Lands Commission by the complainant indicated that the said land was for the State and not for the accused person.

    The prosecution told the court that the accused person had promised to replace the land for the complainant.

    It said the accused person took the complainant to Sakumono Ramsey Site, but he could not provide documents on the said land at Sakumono.

    According to the prosecution, Torgbor had taken the complainant to three different locations in Accra but to no avail and had failed to refund the money.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Expedite action on land digitalization process – Akufo-Addo

    The Lands Commission has been ordered by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to move quickly on the digitization of the land purchase process.

    On December 7, 2022, President Akufo-Addo said during his speech to the first National Land Conference, which was hosted by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, that it is unacceptable in this technologically advanced period for many sectors of the economy to still run entirely manually.

    We are unable to provide effective land administration if land documents must be manually processed.
    Therefore, it is imperative that we move quickly to complete the digitalization of the Commission.
    It is my expectation that this would be a top priority on your agenda when you engage in technical conversations,” he said.

    Reiterating the significance of land to the socio-economic development of the country, the President noted that a rapidly growing population, coupled with competing uses of land, continues to put immense pressure on our land resources.

    According to the President, it is for this reason that, “during the first term of my presidency, we prioritized the passage of the Land Bill, which had been in the draft stage for some twenty (20) years.”

    The Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), which he assented to on 23rd December 2020, the President explained, “revises, harmonizes and consolidates laws on land to ensure sustainable land administration and management, as well as effective and efficient land tenure systems.”

    Successive Governments have sought, through numerous initiatives, to improve Ghana’s land administration regime. The most significant intervention has been the Land Administration Project (LAP), Phases 1 and 2, which sought to lay the foundation and consolidate urban and rural land administration and management systems for efficient and transparent land service delivery.

    These interventions have yielded some results, such as the reform of the Lands Commission through the enactment of the Lands Commission Act, 2008 (Act 767), the establishment of five (5) Client Service Access Units (CSAUs) at the Lands Commission to enhance service delivery, the establishment of Customary Land Secretariats, reforms in the Judiciary through the establishment of specialized land courts and the automation of some courts, the enactment of the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925), the introduction of a new three-tier Spatial Planning Model, and the development of a National Spatial Development Framework and two (2) Regional Spatial Development Frameworks.

    “But laws, in themselves, do not resolve problems. It is their application and effective implementation that yield the requisite results. That is why this conference, which brings together diverse people from different sectors to deliberate on the nexus between land and socio-economic development, is so crucial,” he emphasized.

    The President continued, “Fortunately, the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), provides a strong foundation for fashioning out a workable and efficient land administration. The Act has far-reaching provisions which, if implemented, will go a long way to build the effective land administration we desire.”

    Key amongst them, he said, is the establishment of Customary Land Secretariats to see to the management of stool, skin, family, and clan lands, restrictions on large-scale disposal of family and clans lands without the concurrence of the Regional Lands Commission, the power of the Regional Commission to survey and demarcate land, the provision for electronic conveyancing, the detailed provisions for the compulsory acquisition of land including the payment of compensation, the management and use of public lands, and the provisions for divesting of vested lands.

    The Act “also addresses the challenges associated with boundary demarcation, and clarifies rights and interests in land, and persons with capacity to alienate land. It provides stringent jail terms for various offenses related to lands, such as land guardism, falsification of records, and fraudulent transactions in land administration”.

    President Akufo-Addo expressed his satisfaction with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Lands Commission who are leading the sensitization and education of this important piece of legislation.

  • ‘Expedite action on land digitalisation process – Akufo-Addo charges Lands Commission

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has charged the Lands Commission to expedite action on the digitisation process of land acquisition.

    Addressing the maiden National Land Conference, organised by the Lands Ministry on Wednesday President Akufo-Addo stated that in this technologically advanced age, it is unacceptable that many sectors of the economy still operate in a largely manual environment.

    “We cannot deliver an efficient land administration if documents on land have to be processed manually. We must, therefore, expedite action on the digitalisation process, and ensure that the Commission goes fully digital. As you go into technical discussions, it is my hope that this will be key on your agenda’’, he said.

    'Expedite action on land digitalisation process - Akufo-Addo charges Lands Commission

    Reiterating the significance of land to the socioeconomic development of the country, the President noted that a rapidly growing population, coupled with competing uses of land, continue to put immense pressure on our land resources.

    According to the President, it is for this reason that, “during the first term of my presidency, we prioritised the passage of the Land Bill, which had been in the draft stage for some 20 years.”

    The Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), which he assented to on 23rd December 2020, the President explained, “revises, harmonises and consolidates laws on land to ensure sustainable land administration and management, as well as effective and efficient land tenure systems.”

    'Expedite action on land digitalisation process - Akufo-Addo charges Lands Commission

    Successive Governments have sought, through numerous initiatives, to improve Ghana’s land administration regime.

    The most significant intervention has been the Land Administration Project (LAP), Phases 1 and 2, which sought to lay the foundation and consolidate urban and rural land administration and management systems for efficient and transparent land service delivery.

    'Expedite action on land digitalisation process - Akufo-Addo charges Lands Commission
    Lands Minister, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor

    These interventions have yielded some results, such as the reform of the Lands Commission through the enactment of the Lands Commission Act, 2008 (Act 767), the establishment of five Client Service Access Units (CSAUs) at the Lands Commission to enhance service delivery, the establishment of Customary Land Secretariats, reforms in the Judiciary through the establishment of specialised land courts and the automation of some courts, the enactment of the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act, 2016 (Act 925), the introduction of a new three-tier Spatial Planning Model, and the development of a National Spatial Development Framework and two Regional Spatial Development Frameworks.

    'Expedite action on land digitalisation process - Akufo-Addo charges Lands Commission

    “But laws, in themselves, do not resolve problems. It is their application and effective implementation that yield the requisite results. That is why this conference, which brings together diverse people from different sectors to deliberate on the nexus between land and socio-economic development, is so crucial”, he emphasized.

    The President continued, “Fortunately, the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), provides a strong foundation for fashioning out a workable and efficient land administration. The Act has far-reaching provisions which, if implemented, will go a long way to build the effective land administration we desire’.’

    'Expedite action on land digitalisation process - Akufo-Addo charges Lands Commission

    Key amongst them, he said, is the establishment of Customary Land Secretariats to see to the management of stool, skin, family and clan lands, restrictions on large-scale disposal of family and clans lands without the concurrence of the Regional Lands Commission, the power of the Regional Commission to survey and demarcate land, the provision for electronic conveyancing, the detailed provisions for the compulsory acquisition of land including the payment of compensation, the management and use of public lands, and the provisions for divesting of vested lands.

    The Act “also addresses the challenges associated with boundary demarcation, and clarifies rights and interests in land, and persons with capacity to alienate land. It provides stringent jail terms for various offences related to lands, such as landguardism, falsification of records and fraudulent transactions in land administration”.

    President Akufo-Addo expressed his satisfaction with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Lands Commission who are leading the sensitisation and education of this important piece of legislation.
    Source: Jublie House

  • Lands Commission engages National House of Chiefs on new Lands Act

    A delegation from the Lands Commission has held a meeting with the National House of Chiefs as part of stakeholder engagements on the new Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036).

    The Act revises and consolidates previous enactments on lands into a single law, with the view to ensuring sustainable land administration and management, and effective and efficient land tenure.

    The delegation led by the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu Bio briefed the House on the rationale behind the new Act and how it would improve land administration in the country.

    Heads of the various agencies under the Ministry took turns to explain their roles under the Act with a call on the Chiefs to be abreast with the Act.

    They highlighted key provisions in the Act with emphasis on the Stool Occupants Accountability Regime under the new Land Act which allows indigenes to request accountability from occupants of stool lands.

    Mr Benito Owusu Bio said enactment of the new Land Act was to resolve challenges confronting land administration in the country, including the proliferation of land guards, multiple sale of lands and insecurity.

    “The Land Act aims at revising, harmonising and consolidating the laws of lands to ensure sustainable land administration and management,” the Deputy Minister emphasised.

    He said the goal was to address some of the most pressing issues confronting land administration in the country, stressing that the Act could not work in isolation and required concerted efforts of all stakeholders for effective implementation of the provisions of the Act.

    One way of ensuring this, he said, was to sensitise key stakeholders about the Act and the need to embrace it for the collective good of land administration in Ghana.

    He said the Lands Commission under the supervision of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources held many stakeholder consultations, adding that, Chiefs being custodians of 80 per cent of lands in the country could not be left out.

    The Deputy Minister acknowledged the fact that traditional authorities were one of the important stakeholders in the efficient implementation of the Act.

    “I wish to humbly entreat members of the House of Chiefs to embrace the provisions of this Act to help bring sanity to our land administration. Also, I request the House to deliberate on the Act and propose inputs to the Ministry for consideration in drafting Legislative Instrument (LI) for the Act,” he implored the Chiefs.

    Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, President of the House, welcomed the initiative to engage the House on such an important matter and called for the cooperation of members for a successful meeting.
    Source: Myjoyonline.com

  • CEO of Ghana Free Zones Authority embarks on regional tour

    The CEO of the GFZA, Amb. Mike Oquaye Jr has kicked off a week-long engagement with licensed free zone companies in the Ashanti and Western Regions of Ghana.

    With two enclaves in the western region and one in the Ashanti region, Ghana’s lead agency for regulating the free zones scheme and Ghana’s Special Economic Zones remains ready to do more.

    Amb. Mike Oquaye Jnr. and his team kicked off the customer-facing engagement in the Ashanti Region.

    His first stop was at Angel FM, where he answered questions from listeners and the presenter centered on the mandate of the institution and the plans Ghana has to accelerate the development of the Great Kumasi Industrial City Project.

    The CEO stressed the need for Ashanti-based industrialists with export orientation to take advantage of available incentives.

    “It is our mandate as an institution to support you to achieve more exports as Ghana takes the needed steps to address its structural economic setup. Accelerating our export drive is imperative to becoming the Ghana we want,” Amb. Mike Oquaye Jr.

    As part of the regional tour, the team visited Juaben Oil Mills Limited, an agro-processing company at the heart of adding value to oil palm, among others.

    After touring the factory and engaging with its leadership, the GFZA team then paid a courtesy call to the Omanhene of the Juaben traditional area, Nana Otuo Siriboe II.

    Amb. Mike Oquaye thanked Nana for his continuous support for industrialization and for guiding and shaping the growth of Juaben Oil Mills from inception to date.

    Nana Otuo Siriboe II commended Amb. Mike Oquaye for his stellar performance at the GFZA and urged him to do more to achieve the mandate given to him by the President on behalf of the Good People of Ghana.

    The GFZA then visited OLAM Ghana Limited, one of Ghana’s largest licensed agro-food processing firms. OLAM Ghana is an adept buyer and exporter of processed cocoa, cashew, and rice in Ghana.

    Amb. Oquaye encouraged OLAM to do more for the sector as he committed to working closely with the company to clear bottlenecks that might impede their growth

    The next company visited by the team was Logs & Lumber Ghana Limited, one of the leading timber logging and processing companies in Ghana and the West African sub-region. Amb. Mike Oquaye noted the company’s concerns and committed to working with other state actors to address them.

    In the Western Region, Ambassador Oquaye and the team paid a working visit to the Regional Minister, Hon. Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, to discuss pertinent land-related issues before heading to the Lands Commission with the team.

    Before meeting the Regional Minister, Amb. Mike Oquaye was interviewed extensively on Skyy FM during which he updated listeners on a wide range of issues about Free Zones and its activities in the Western Region.

    The GFZA team then met with the CEO and management team of Wayoe Engineering & Construction Limited, one of the largest privately-owned Ghanaian engineering and construction companies in West Africa.

    The group toured the new factory of the company to get a sense of the investment the company had made and its growth potential. Amb. Mike Oquaye committed to working closely with the company to find lasting solutions to some identified problems.

    The team then visited Amalitech Limited, a social enterprise that harnesses the potential of remote work to build the future of work in sub-Saharan Africa.

    Speaking at the end of the one-week working visit, Amb Mike Oquaye expressed satisfaction with the achievements of many of the institutions in the two regions.

    He also charged the regional heads of the GFZA to continue delivering value to all GFZA-licensed businesses.

    Mr. Ziblim Alhassan, Director of Administration and Human Resources; Mr. Jesse Agyepong, Director of Corporate Affairs; and Mr. Lawrence Osei-Boateng, Director of Business Development and Research, accompanied Ambassador Mike Oquaye on the working visit. He was also accompanied by Mr. Ricky Osei Owusu, Regional Head of the Ashanti Region; Hajia Hanatu Abubakar, Regional Director for the Western Region; Mr. Fred Agyei-Gyane, Manager in Charge of Compliance; and Mr. Harry Ansah, Personal Assistant to the CEO.

  • Potential land buyers encouraged to study Land Act 2020

    According to Mr. George Okwabi Frimpong, a member of the Licensed Surveyors Association, the Land Act 2020 (Act 1036) aims to eliminate repeated land sales and bring some sanity to land disputes in the nation.

    Before transactions, he advised prospective land purchasers and investors to review the relevant portions of the Land Act 2020 (Act 1036) and consult with qualified land surveyors.

    “If you are interested in property, in any shape or form, you need to know a few things from the Act, so you don’t fall victim to land concerns,” said Mr. Okwabi Frimpong, a former senior staff member of the Lands Commission.

    Mr. Okwabi Frimpong was speaking at the “Ghana News Agency –Tema Regional Office’s Stakeholder Engagement and Workers’ Appreciation Day,” Seminar which is a progressive platform created to give opportunity to state and non-state actors to interact with journalists and address national issues.

    The event also serves as a motivational mechanism to recognize the editorial contribution of reporters to the professional growth and promotion of the Tema Regional Branch of the Ghana News Agency as the industrial news hub, while contributing to national development.

    Mr. Okwabi said the Act seeks to save many Ghanaians from falling victim to the many land issues the country was confronted with as the act empowers the Lands Commission and Ministry of Lands to come out with some regulations and legislative instruments (LI) to operationalize it.

    Mr. Okwabi Frimpong noted that going contrary to the law would attract a fine of not less than 5,000 penalty units and not more than 10,000 penalty units.

    He said the law mandated a family or group which owns land to establish a Customary Land Secretariat – a small unit to manage the land at the local, family, or stool level whereby “all land transactions have to be recorded.”

    Mr. Okwabi Frimpong explained that the Lands Commission and the office of the Administrator of Stool Lands had been mandated to provide technical services to the Customary Land Secretariat.

  • OccupyGhana petitions RTI Commission over public lands

    Occupy Ghana, a pressure group, has petitioned the Right to Information (RTI) Commission to order the Lands Commission to provide details on all public lands that the Commission had allegedly returned to owners.

    The petition dated September 20, 2022 and addressed to the Executive Secretary of the Commission, said the action had been necessitated due to the Lands Commission’s “conceivable trick to frustrate” access to the documents.

    The Group has, therefore, asked the RTI Commission to make the Lands Commission provide it (the Group) with a list of all public lands over, which Government’s ownership or control had been relinquished and the names of the persons to whom those lands had been released.

    They are also asking that the respective sizes and locations (suburbs, towns/cities, and regions) of all such lands, and the conditions of release, whether free, sale, lease or license be provided.

    OccupyGhana is also asking that the Lands Commission be made to tell the Group the amount of rent paid or payable, and any other amounts paid to or received by Government, if any, for the release of a land.

    According to the Group, the Lands Commission had purportedly returned some public lands to the original owners in compliance with article 20(5) and (6) of the Constitution.

    However, the Group said such action by the Commission was contrary to the Supreme Court’s ruling that those provisions did not apply to lands acquired before the Constitution came into force.

    “Checks with both the Lands Ministry and Lands Commission have confirmed that contrary to article 258(2), there is no government policy that authorises these alleged returns of lands to purported original owners,” the pressure group noted.

    The Group said it had between June 2 and September 15, 2022, engaged with the Commission to be given the needed information in line with the right to information and to be accounted to, as Ghanaians per constitutional provisions.

    It said reasons for, which the information had not been given included a demand to name an individual with whom the Commission would deal with, request for time to compile the information from the regions, and the calling for a meeting to discuss the Group’s concerns.

    According to OccupyGhana, the Commission also said it needed the advice of the Attorney-General on the request in the light of the provisions of the Data Protection Act and the Right to Information Act.

    “At this stage, we are concerned that unless and until compelled by the Right to Information Commission to do so, the Lands Commission will keep coming up with one unsustainable excuse after another,” the Group said, hence, the petition.

    Source: GNA

  • Lands Commission sensitises Western North Regional House of Chiefs on new Land Act

    The Lands Commission has sensitised members of the Western North Regional House of Chiefs on the new Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036) to ensure efficient land management.

    The workshop formed part of the Commission’s continuous efforts to equip and empower the traditional leaders with information on their roles under the Act.

    Speaking at the event in Sefwi-Wiawso, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, the President of the House and Paramount Chief of Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Area, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, urged members of the House to take the engagement seriously and drum home the message to their respective traditional areas.

    Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi, also the President of the National House of Chiefs, said the training would empower them to be more efficient in the discharge of their duties.

    Mr Timothy Anyidoho, the Greater Accra Regional Lands Officer, expressed appreciation to the House for giving the Commission the opportunity to educate them on the Act and brainstorm on some land related matters.

    He noted that the Sector Minister, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, was very passionate about the exercise and entreated all stakeholders to participate fully in order to be abreast of the law.

    Mr Anyidoho highlighted some sections of the Act, which were relevant to their work as custodians of their lands.

    He cited Section 9 (2) which states: “A person shall not create an interest in or right over any stool, skin, clan or family land that vest in that person, another person or body of persons a freehold interest in that land.”

    The Section 98 (1) also states that “An action concerning any land or interest in land in registration district shall not be commenced in any court unless the procedure for resolution under Alternative Dispute Resolution Act, 2010 Act 798 have been exhausted.”

    Nana Kojo Essilfie, the Head of Land Registration Division, Tema, on his part, gave further explanations on relevance of those Sections as traditional leaders to help them resolve land related matters that may come before them.

    He said the Commission would not relent on its efforts in sensitizing key stakeholders on the new legislation because it helped in resolving land management cases.

    Madam Afua Abrafi, the Western North Regional Lands Officer, on behalf of the Commission, presented copies of the Land Act to the House and assured them of its preparedness to support the House to deal with land related matters.

  • What the law says about returning state acquired lands to original owners

    Government’s decision to degazette portions of the Achimota Forest Reserve through the Executive Instrument 144, which took effect on 1st May, 2022, has generated a lot of controversy in the Ghanaian media with varied comments being expressed about the propriety of the action amidst government’s stated commitments to environmental protection.

    Although the government says the degazetted portion, about 361 acres, is being ceded to the allodial owners of the forest land, the Owoo family, environmentalists insist that the government ought to protect and preserve it due to its importance.

    In the cause of the conversion, a purported Will of former Forestry Commission head, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, also known as Sir John, has become public.

    In the purported Will, Sir John bequeathed acres of lands he owned in his name and others he owned in the name of his companies in the Achimota forest to some relatives.

    He also willed acres of specified and unspecified land at the Sakumono Ramsar site to relatives.

    Many have spoken against the development and accused the late Sir John of taking advantage of his office to amass for himself lands that ought to be protected for the state.

    The Lands Commission has already said that it has no records to show that Sir John owns lands in the Achimota Forest, but the Ministry for Lands and Natural Resources has said while the purported Will is a subject of litigation, it is revoking any authority of the said Achimota forest and Sakumono Ramsar site lands to any private individual.

    But what do the laws of Ghana say about returning state acquired lands to their allodial owners?

    In the case of Nii Kpobi Tettey Tsuru v Attorney-General [2010] SCGLR 904

    Dotse JSC in his ruling stated that;

    “We are certain in our views that Article 20 of the Constitution, 1992 only deals with land acquisitions that are effected after the 1992 Constitution came into effect, and this by operation of law is January 7th, 1993.

    Our conviction and resolve is further buttressed by the provisions in Article 20(2) of the Constitution which provide that compulsory acquisition of property by the State can only take place under a legal regime which provides for prompt payment of fair and adequate compensation and a right of access to the High Court by any affected person of such an acquisition.

    It must be noted that there have been several instances of a lot of acquisition of lands by the State in the past, for which compensation has not yet been paid.

    If the Constitutional provisions should have retrospective effect then all such acquisitions of land by the State under the past legal regimes would be unconstitutional. This state of affairs would not only create chaos and confusion in the land administration sector of the country but would lead to anarchy.

    Thirdly, it must be noted that since the Constitution 1992 itself frowns upon and actually prohibits retrospective legislation, it is doubtful if the Constitution itself would be interpreted to have retrospective effect. Such an interpretation will not only be reactionary but counter productive and will not be in the interest of the good and orderly development and administration of the country.

    This court will therefore hold and rule that Articles 20 (5) and (6) of the Constitution, 1992 have no retrospective effect on acquisitions of land done under CAP 134 the Public Lands Ordinance which is the subject matter of this appeal.”

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Lands Commission flood: Your land documents are intact Deputy Lands Minister assures

    Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, responsible for Lands and Forestry, Benito Owusu-Bio, has assured Ghanaians that all land documents at the Lands Commission Accra Regional office are safe and intact.

    He said this in contrast to a news report circulating on social media that rains have destroyed all land documents at the Greater Accra Regional Lands Commission head office including those of Achimota forest.

    Addressing the media during an inspection of the flooded offices at the Lands Commission on Monday, May 23, Mr Benito said, “Yes, it is true the rain got into the building from the construction site next door but upon inspection on arrival to verify the reports, nothing has been  destroyed as most documents were safely placed on shelves above floor level.”

    He further stated that even documents that were wet by the rainwater have been promised to be replaced.

    “The Executive Secretary has assured us that all the documents the water got into will be reprinted and replaced. The electronic data are also intact and so there is no cause for alarm.”

    The Deputy Minister said moving forward, they are going to ensure that no documents are kept on the floor in the offices to ensure such an occurrence does not repeat itself.

    He stressed that the rain was an act of God which could not have been predicted and therefore should not be linked to the Achimota Forest land saga or any other land matter whatsoever as it will be unfair if that is considered.

    Mr Owusu-Bio gave a word of encouragement and appreciation to the employees of the Lands Commission for their hard work regardless of all current happenings, saying: “we see your efforts and we appreciate it, Keep up the good work,” he said.

    Lands Commission flood: Your land documents are intact - Deputy Lands Minister assuresSource: GNA

    Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, Mr. James Dadson, pointed out that the main offices that were affected include the basement, records, records annex and the digital capturing room but he was also quick to add that most of the documents affected by the rain have been retrieved and dried up by the sun, adding that those that could not dry will be reprinted and replaced.

    Mr. Dadson also assured the media and Ghanaians that the rains did not interrupt their work in any way, adding that they will be ready to work, anytime they are called upon.

    “This has not disrupted any of our work. As a matter of fact, we have restored lights to all the affected offices and we are ready and will be at your service anytime we are called upon to work,” he concluded.

    Source: MyJoyOnline

  • Lands Commission pays courtesy call on National Chief Imam

    Mr Alex Quaynor, the Chairman of the Lands Commission, Mr Alex Quaynor, has led a delegation from the Commission to pay a courtesy call on the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, at his residence at Fadama, Accra.

    The call was to ask for his blessings as the Commission embarks on a sensitisation campaign on the provisions of the Lands Act 2020 (Act 1036), which governs land administration in the country.

    The Commission has identified traditional authorities and the clergy as major stakeholders in educating the public on the new legislation.

    The Chairman expressed joy for the opportunity and said the Commission had presence in all the 16 regions of Ghana and responsible for registering land titles in the Greater Accra Region and parts of the Ashanti Region.

    Mr James Dadson, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, explained the structure of the Commission, which has four divisions, comprising the Survey and Mapping, Public and Vested Land Management, Land Valuation, and the Land Registration divisions.

    Section 12 of the Land Act had criminalised the activities of “land guards”, he said, and that both the sponsor and the land guard committed an offence and could be persecuted and jailed for a term of not less than five years and not more than 15 years.

    Therefore, it was imperative for land owners to be abreast of the provisions in the Act and be guided in their land dealings, adding that the Act was one sure way of bringing sanity into the land market.

    Mr Dadson said the public engagement was to ensure free flow of information to every segment of society and called for cooperation to make the exercise successful.

    The delegation presented 10 copies of the Lands Act to the Chief Imam.

    The personalities in the team include the Chairperson of the Greater Accra Lands Commission, Mrs Yvonne Sowah, the Deputy Executive Secretary in charge of Operations, Mr Benjamin Arthur, the Acting Greater Accra Regional Lands Officer, Mr Timothy Anyidoho, and Acting Director of Survey and Mapping, Naa Abdullah Abubakari.

    The others are the Head of Human Resource, Mr Evans Mamphey, Mr Richard Owusu Afoakwah, the Acting Director, PVLMD, Head of Procurement, Mr Randy Glymin, and Mr Michael Appiah, Head of Monitoring and Evaluation.

    The National Chief Imam expressed excitement over the gesture and assured the delegation that he would do his best to ensure that the Lands Act was explained to the Muslim Community at the different mosques.

    Mr Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaib, the Spokesperson to the Chief Imam, expressed gratitude to the delegation and pledged support towards the sensitisation of the Muslim Community.

    Source: GNA

  • Train crashes 22-year-old deaf person

    A deaf young man has been knocked down by a train at Nkotompo in the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolis killing him on Tuesday morning.

    Stephen Duku, 22, a student of Takoradi Technical Institute was knocked down when he was crossing the rails to school when the unfortunate incident happened.

    Speaking to GhanaWeb, Assemblymember of the area, Anthony Ephraim, said “because of the deafness of the deceased he did not hear the sound of the oncoming train, and that was probably the reason why the train hit and killed him.”

    An eyewitness, Madam Rose Asante who narrated the incident said “the train hit the boy and run over the head which has led to the head being crushed”.

    She added that “Duku is a regular user of the rail lines on his way to school, and that is why nobody had bothered to advise him against the practice.”

    She disclosed that “it is something most of us in this part of the community do; we use the rails very often, even kids do that. And Duku is someone who always uses the rail lines on his way to school, so we never envisaged that this will happen to him today.”

    Police Officers have conveyed the body to the Effia Nkwanta Hospital morgue for preservation.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • MDF to fund community projects soon – Deputy Lands minister

    The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr George Mireku Duker, has assured mining communities of the immediate release of the Mineral Development Fund (MDF), to expedite the completion of ongoing projects in the various mining areas.

    He said his outfit had engaged the Finance Ministry to discuss the timely release of funds to the MDF Board and not through the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) for onward disbursements which are often delayed.

    “I wish to state that the MDF Board from September 2020 has since been receiving its 20 percent funds due them. The Ministry will frequently expedite the immediate release of funds for its community developmental projects,” he said.

    Mr Duke made this remarked on Friday, in Accra, at the opening ceremony of a two-day multi-stakeholder workshop on the Mining Community Development Scheme (MCDS).

    It was organized by the West Africa Governance and Economic Sustainability in Extractive Area Project (WAGES) in collaboration with the MDF Board and the Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

    The purpose of the workshop among other things was to strengthen the coordination between the Local Management Committee (LMC) of MDF and stakeholders, to create an enabling environment of knowledge sharing that will equip the LMC.

    Mr Duker said the reason for the fair by-partisan composition of the LMC was to ensure the inclusion of relevant stakeholders in mining communities, to champion the needed socio-economic development of their people.

    He said members of the LMC included, a chairperson appointed by the Board of MDF in consultation with the District Assembly and traditional authorities of the mining community, the appointment of the District Chief Executive of the mining area,and a member from the traditional rulers of the mining community, among others.

    “In furtherance to the operationalization of the LMC to ensure transparency and compliance in disbursement, the Managers of the MDF in August 2020 developed guidelines for the disbursement and management of the MCDS.

    “This was to among others ensure relevant stakeholders abide by all applicable compliance in fund management and ensure disbursement from the funds are used in providing the needed socio-economic benefits and developments of the mining communities,” he said.

    The Chairman of the MDF Governing Board, Mr Kwaku Addo Sakyi-Addo, assured the stakeholders of tapping into the knowledge of the previous board to complete all ongoing projects.

    He said the MDF Act mandates the Board to establish MDCS at the local level with the aim of improving the living standard of people in mining areas.

    Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh

  • Discharge your duties effectively Owusu-Bio to Bono Regional Lands Commission

    An 18-member regional Lands Commission has been established in the Bono Region to tackle land administrative issues.

    The members were sworn into office on Tuesday, 27 July 2021 by the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio who tasked them to discharge their duties in accordance with the dictates of the law that sets up the commission.

    Mr. Owusu-Bio observed that the region, like most regions in the country has been crippled with plethora of land disputes and encouraged the members of the commission to find a panacea to the menace.

    He reminded them that their appointment is a responsibility handed to them by the country to contribute their quota to its development hence the need for them to eschew bias and favoritism in doing so.

    The Deputy Minister recognised the spirited efforts of the erstwhile Brong Ahafo Regional Lands Commission in dealing with land issues but intimated that the new commission should exceed the strides made by their predecessors.

    “Mr. Chairman, permit me to congratulate the Chairman and members of the Bono Regional Lands Commission on their appointment to this esteemed public office. It is a call to serve the region and it is the expectation of my Ministry that you will put in your utmost best to ensure that the needed reforms in the land administration and management are executed. This will boost public confidence in the Lands Commission in particular and the land sector as a whole. I have no doubt that you will deliver on your mandate, he said.

    “I wish to also acknowledge and commend the efforts of the previous Commission under the then Brong Ahafo Region for their hard work and dedication,” he added.

    He counseled the Members to get acquainted with the mandate of the commission as it is important for them to coordinate with other key stakeholders to deal with land-related issues in the region.

    “I charge you, therefore, to be abreast with all the relevant sections and the functions of the Commission, to enable you discharge your duties expeditiously. Mr. Chairman, the Bono Region has 12 administrative districts with Sunyani as the regional capital. The Ministry is not oblivious of the challenges faced by this region in the land sector.

    “The activities of land guards, boundary disputes, unauthorized developments, illegal mining and encroachment on water ways, roads and other open spaces keep hindering the socioeconomic development of this region. There is also the indiscriminate sale of land without regard to approved planning schemes by agents claiming to be acting on the instruction of the Traditional Authorities.

    “I implore the Commission to work hard and diligently to address these issues and ensure a harmonious relationship among all stakeholders in the land sector. My Ministry is ready and willing to support the Commission in the discharge of its mandates at all times,” he said.

    The Director of the Regional Coordinating Council, who Spoke on behalf of the Bono Regional Minister, Justina Owusu Banahene reserved special praise to the Deputy Minister and the entire Ministry for their commitment towards dealing with land related issues and also assured of the support of the Regional Coordinating Council.

    Source: classfmonline.com

  • Bring your expertise and experience on board – Mireku Duker to Western Regional Lands Commission

    As part of Government initiatives to decentralize Lands Commission and it’s related activities, the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources George Mireku Duker on July 14th July, 2021 inaugurated a 20-member Western Regional Lands Commission with a call on members to bring on board their diverse professional expertise and experience to help Government achieve its agenda in the Land sector.

    The Deputy Minister used the platform to also thank members of the immediate past Regional Lands Commission for their dedicated service to the Region.

    The Deputy Minister mentioned that “the vast natural resources of this Region has made it a very attractive investment destination, stressing that prospective investors particularly in the mining, timber, cocoa, rubber and oil palm sector have been trooping the region to acquire lands among other things.

    “The discovery of oil in commercial quantities has ignited a renewed interest in the Region. This has resulted in a plethora of litigation in several communities and many are currently pending at different courts in the Region” he added.

    The Deputy Minister also bemoaned the Galamsey menace in the region and indicated that “many farmers and land owners are coerced to cede off their land for illegal mining of precious minerals. This has led to the wanton destruction of our forest reserve”.

    He therefore tasked members of the Regional Lands Commission to help find practical measures to mitigate these problems by collaborating with relevant government agencies and land owners.

    “I therefore urge you to see your appointment as a challenge and work with the needed zeal and commitment to help transform the Region into a business hub creating jobs and opportunities for it’s inhabitants” he concluded.

    The Chairman of the reconstituted Western Regional Lands Commission, Dr. Isaac Obirim Kofi Sageo expressed his appreciation and that of his colleagues to the government for the honor done them and pledged their unwavering commitment to make Western Region Land administration a success.

    “We are quite a strong team and we shall not disappoint, but deliver on our mandate”, he concluded.

    Source: Public Relations Unit – MLNR

  • Lands Commission Introduces online service after successful pilot

    The Lands Commission says it will move more of its services online.

    According to the commission, the success of its piloted online platform for some selected services has necessitated this move.

    The Commission from November 9, 2020, moved away from its manual system unto an online platform for some selected services, to render a more efficient service to the general public.

    After more than two months since its rollout, the commission believes the good feedback from the general public makes it conducive to move other services fully online.

    Director of the Land Valuation Division of the commission, Surveyor Benjamin Arthur in an interview said some challenges they faced in the beginning of the rollout have been solved.

    “We intended to roll out the online services for a number of our functions but we had a lot of the in-house cleaning of our data to do so we had to start with our services searches and when we did the initial rollout, we encountered some backend challenges. It took a while to resolve the issues but they have been resolved now”.

    He added that his outfit has begun working with its internal records to begin moving some other services including registration of lands and stamping onto the platform by February this year.

    “While we were trying to digitize our records, we were picking, service by service, what was possible to move online depending on the kind of service. So, we started with our searches as a service. So, as of now, that is what is online, but we have worked with our internal records and internal processes to the extent that we are now ready to roll out more on our services online”, he added.

    Source: Goldstreet Business

  • Forum calls for land acquisition, registration reforms

    The Lands Commission has been urged to increase public education on the legal processes to acquire and register land and landed property to help phase out the challenges associated with such property acquisition in the country.

    The call was made by discussants at a forum organised in Accra yesterday to identify and address the challenges involved in property registration in the country.

    The Founding President of IMANI, Mr. Franklin Cudjoe, who led the discussion, said the main challenges of land acquisition could be solved by decentralisation of the land registry.

    He said the government must, aside educating the public on the processes, streamline it and make it less cumbersome and expensive for the ordinary Ghanaian.

    “It doesn’t make sense to buy land in a particular district and have to travel to the regional capital to register it,” he said.

    The multiple sale of land to different customers, court litigations and the menace of land guards have all made property registration cumbersome in the country beyond the primary challenges that have been identified by stakeholders in the land acquisition space.

    Database

    A land consultant, Dr. Yaw Adarkwah Antwi, said there must be a national land registration database that functioned properly and was accessible to the public.

    Such information on the ownership of land must be captured, processed, stored and disseminated to the public to help guide prospective buyers of land on what to purchase or not, he said.

    “You don’t assume that the system exists so the public must know but rather you need to increase public awareness on the system to make it effective,” he said.

    Registration

    Another speaker at the forum, the Managing Director of Tenth Generation Technology Systems, acknowledged that although there were some legal processes in acquiring land, they were not designed to address the needs of the poor.

    He said the issue was not about the existence of processes or systems but how to get those systems to work effectively for the benefit of the nation.

    He said when the government found the appropriate ways to deal with land acquisition, there would be fewer court cases, and the cost of land would be significantly reduced.

    Source: graphic.com.gh

  • Lands Minister swears in new CEO of Forestry Commission

    The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, on Monday swore Mr John Allotey into office as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission, replacing the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.

    Mr Allotey was in acting capacity until his confirmation as the substantive CEO and served as the Deputy CEO of the Commission.

    Mr Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly known as “Sir John”, died on Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at the Intensive Care Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

    Meanwhile, Togbega Tsedze Atakora VII, Paramount Chief of Alavanyo Traditional Area, has also been sworn in as a Board Member of the Commission, replacing the late Togbega Gabusu VI, Paramount Chief of Gbi Traditional Area.

    At a brief ceremony at the Ministry in Accra, Mr Asomah-Cheremeh charged the two personalities to be bold, forthright and work assiduously to propel the Commission to a higher level.

    He administered the Oaths of Office, Secrecy and Allegiance to the two gentlemen.

    The Minister urged them to continue the good works of the former CEO and execute the mandate of the Commission.

    Mr Allotey, in his acceptance remarks, expressed gratitude to the President for the honour and pledged to work closely with all the stakeholders to achieve the vision and mission of the Commission.

    Togbega Atakora, on his part, expressed appreciation to the President for the honour done him.

    He commended the former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources and current Energy Minister, Mr John-Peter Amewu, for the good works done at the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region during his tenure as the Municipal Chief Executive.

    Source: GNA

  • 6,000 acres of state lands at Adenta Katamanso encroached – Lands Minister

    The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Kweku Asomah-Cheremeh, has stated that the government is working around the clock to reclaim state lands encroached by individuals and groups.

    He made this known on Wednesday, August 5, 2020 when he inspected some state lands at Adenta and Atomic Energy in the greater Accra region.

    According to him out of 7,000 acres of state lands at Adenta Katamanso only 1000 acres have not been encroached.

    “All lands belonging to the state have been properly acquired under the executive instrument of which private developers ignore what the law states”, he said.

    Government would protect the interest of the citizenry at all times but would not countenance any act to compromise the security of the state”, he cautioned.

    “Anyone who wishes to acquire a land should contact the Lands Commission secretariat for the needed guidance and assistance “, he stated.

    The Minister was accompanied by his Deputy, Benito Owusu-Bio and the Technical Director of Lands, James Dadson.

     

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Lands Commission in court for allocating public land to former President Rawlings

    A Ghanaian has dragged the Lands Commission to court for allocating 4.368 acres of public land to former President Jerry John Rawlings for personal use.

    On May 3, 2016, the Lands Commission, acting on the instruction of then President John Mahama, allocated the land, situated along the Sekou Toure Street, Accra, to former President Rawlings in his personal name to be used for the Rawlings Foundation.

    The plaintiff, Mr Jonathan Holm, a businessman, and resident of Osu, Accra, is arguing that by virtue of Article 20(5) and (6) of the 1992 Constitution, public lands acquired in the public interest are required to be used for public purposes that would inure to the benefit of Ghanaians generally and not for personal or selected, sectarian or esoteric purposes.

    The plaintiff joined President Rawlings and the Lands Commission as defendants.

    It is the case of the plaintiff that the Lands Commission acted contrary to the provisions of the 1992 Constitution.

    Mr Holm stated that per the constitution, if land compulsorily acquired for a stated public purpose for which it was compulsorily acquired or that it is no longer required for the public purpose for which it was initially acquired, the owner of the land immediately preceding the compulsory acquisition should be given the first option to re-acquire the land for which reason the land owner would be made to refund the compensation paid for same or be made to pay for the value of the land.

    Since the land in dispute forms part of Osu Stool lands, the Stool, the plaintiff held was required by the constitution to be given the first option to re-acquire the land when the government decided that it no longer required the land for the stated public purpose.

    In the writ, filed by his counsel, Mr Bright O. Akwetey of Akwetey and Associates, the plaintiff averred that the Rawlings Foundation was not a public purpose or a project in the public interest and could not be established on the land in dispute.

    He said on May 9, 2016, former President Rawlings in a letter addressed to then President Mahama requested the Lands Commission to allocate additional land close to the 4.368 acres and measuring approximately 50 per cent of the allocated land to the portion already allocated to him so as to have enough space for parking for staff and visitors.

    This, the plaintiff noted was not right and as such, the court should stop the allocation as the reason for the request for additional land was for a project that is not in the public interest.

    According to the plaintiff, the 4.368 public land already allocated to former President had state bungalows built on the land with occupants and that all the owner needed to do was to give the occupants three months prior notice to vacate the land for construction works to begin.

    Mr Holm wanted an order by the court declaring the land in dispute as land compulsorily acquired in the public interest for public purposes.

    He prayed the state that by the Constitution of Ghana as well as specific laws under which the land was compulsorily acquired, the President of the Republic automatically became a Trustee for the land on behalf of all Ghanaians.

    The plaintiff wants an order declaring that the purpose of a Trust cannot be varied in a situation where the Trust purpose still subsists.

    An order directed at Lands Commission to comply with the constitution by giving the Osu Stool the first option to re-acquire the land.

    The plaintiff urged the court to revoke the allocation and make order for recovery of possession of the land.

     

    Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh