Tamale, July 09, GNA - Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, the Northern Regional Minister, has expressed concern that the de-vesting of state controlled lands in some parts of the Northern Region was causing confusion.
He said although all lands in the north in the past had been under the control of the government, portions of the encumbered lands had been utilized while parts were un-utilized during the vested period.
He said this had created confusion because some chiefs were interpreting de-vesting, as "All lands vested must go back to the allodia owners" and this had led to encroachments on acquired lands for state institutions like schools and hospitals that had sometimes led to violent clashes.
Alhaji Idris was addressing a two-day Northern Regional Forum on the Land Administration Project (LAP), which seeks to collate public and stakeholders comments and views as input for the proposed consolidated land act in Tamale on Monday.
The forum, which is being organised by the Ministry of Lands, Forestry and Mines, has in attendance key stakeholders such as landowners, traditional authorities, and land users, indigenous communities, environmentalist and women groups.
The Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana are facilitating the Forum.
The Minister said the problem of the de-vesting of state controlled land had become a thorny one with undeveloped private acquired land not left out of the confusion and therefore urged the LAP Unit to take the issue of de-vesting further beyond forums and educate all on its implications.
Alhaji Idris appealed to chiefs and individuals to follow the laid down rules and regulations in getting back un-utilized lands to forestall confrontations and disputes. He also cautioned encroachers on acquired lands to realise that the acquisitions of public lands were made for the benefit of the entire community, and as such the lands were to be used for the purpose for which they were acquired.
The Regional Minister said there was the perception that some officials of the public land sector agencies and some chiefs and individuals were colluding to falsify land documents.
"This practice must stop since government officials are supposed to promote a healthy and orderly land administration in the country and not to undermine the nation's land policy. We must all show sincerity and love for our country in order to achieve the middle level income status we want to attain", Alhaji Idris said.
Dr. Odame Larbi, Project Director of LAP, said the forum formed part of the policy development processes under the Ghana Land Administration Project, whose primary objective was to lay the foundation for a sustainable land administration system that was fair, efficient, cost-effective, transparent and guarantees security of tenure. He said it was expected that at the end of the project a comprehensive legislation embodying land management and tenure, surveying and mapping, land administration and land use planning would be developed.
Dr. Larbi said the essence of the regional forums was therefore to interact with the key stakeholders on land issues in the region, identify peculiar land issues in the region that required specific attention in the policy formulation process and the outputs by the key stakeholders.
