Lands Commission should be made aware of payments on lands

Justice Yaw Appau, Commissioner of the Judgement Debts Commission, says by virtue of its mandate, the Lands Commission should be made aware of payments that were made with respect to acquisition of lands by state institutions.

"As a body that valuates these lands, you have to be made aware of payments that are made on them. We would like to see such evidence."

Justice Appau said this when Dr. Wilfred Anim-Odame, Acting Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, appeared before Wednesday's sitting of the Judgement Debts Commission.

Dr. Anim-Odame said whilst the Lands Commission had undertaken valuation and recommended the quantum of compensation payable on lands acquired by organizations such as the Ghana Highways Authority, Volta River Authority, Electricity Company of Ghana amongst many others, the organizations had failed to issue the Lands Commission with receipts or documents covering the payments.

"We have written to them to give us the receipts and documents, so that we can build our data base," said Dr. Anim-Odame.

He said it was a fact that the Lands Commission was the authority responsible for land compensation.

Dr. Anim-Odame however presented receipts covering payments, which the Lands Commission itself had made on land acquisition, from 1993 to 2012, to the Judgement Debts Commission.

He however said "we could not compile a comprehensive list of the receipts because of short notice."

Dr. Anim-Odame pleaded with the Commission to grant his outfit a little more time to make the list of receipts more comprehensive.

Justice Appau said his outfit would inform the Lands Commission on the next date to appear before the Commission.

The Commission would break for the Christmas holidays and resume sitting on January 7, 2013.