‘Consult experts to smooth the land acquisition process’

Professor S.O Asiamah, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Land Economy, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has underlined the need to make optimal use of the services of experts in the land sector to bring more efficiency into the land administration system.

He encouraged both land owners and prospective buyers to seek professional advice to remove delays and other challenges associated with land title acquisition.

He was speaking at a day’s workshop held in Kumasi under the theme: “The rights of a property owner; challenges of owning a piece of land”.

This brought together selected chiefs and property owners from across the Ashanti Region.

It was organized by, Good Governance Africa (GGA)-West Africa Centre, a governance research organization, to sensitize them on their rights and laws on land administration.

The workshop was also meant to provide the platform to identify challenges in the enforcement of laws governing land administration and to make recommendations to the appropriate state institutions.

Prof Asiamah said the cumbersome nature of the processes relating to the acquisition of land title was a major bother and said things, necessarily would have to be properly streamlined.

He counseled those looking for land to purchase to ensure due diligence to avoid being swindled.

He pointed out that some chiefs, were just caretakers and did not have the right to grant any land allocations.

Mr Jonathan Zinzi Ayitey, Head of the Department of Land Economy, KNUST, reminded everybody that land title registration was compulsory under the law.

It was therefore important for land owners and buyers to do all they could to acquire title to their property to avoid future litigation.

He again spoke of the need for them to be abreast of the laws and regulations governing land acquisition and to strictly abide by these to stave off needless litigation and conflict.

Mr Eric P. Tudzi, another Lecturer at the Department, called for attitudinal change by employees of the various land agencies to help reduce bureaucracy and other negative practices.

Mrs. Tina Asante-Apeatu, Chief Executive Officer of GGA-West Africa Centre, said it was necessary to aid the people to follow the right procedures and processes in managing their property, adding that, good governance in land administration vital for the promotion of peace and harmony in society.