Land acquisition affecting government’s projects implementation - Minister

The Upper East Regional Minister, Rockson Ayine Bukari has observed that land tenure system coupled with the refusal by landlords in the region to cede lands for government projects is hampering development in the area.

He observed that the current administration is prepared to embark on various pro-poor projects and policies aimed at ameliorating the plight of residents considering the fact it is considered one of the underdeveloped regions in the country but bemoaned the conduct of land owners.

According to him, not only is the government facing the problem of land acquisition but private investors who have seen potentials in the area and would have wish to establish their businesses in the region.

The Minister is of the view that if lands are readily released to government and investors it will be one of the means to ending poverty that is endemic in the region.

Most of the lands in the area he however emphasized have been characterized by long-standing disputes which is warding off investors a development he appealed to the traditional authorities to do their best in resolving if they are committed to development

“Investors are prepared to come here but because of the land tenure system they are scared. Because they want to come to where there are controversies over land matters. So we are appealing to the Tindamas (land owners) and our traditional rulers to release land for district assemblies to the job”.

Customary land tenure system especially in Upper East and West regions of Ghana have often been criticized for quite some time as being inefficient and a contributory factor to the area’s underdevelopment. Rockson Ayine Bukari said

“For example this intervention like planting for foods and jobs, the village one dam, , one district one factory, we cannot build them in the air. We need to get and to put them up”, the minister told drumbeats reporters.

He suggested that all the district assemblies should get land banks for development.