Minister inaugurates Lands Commission

Accra, Aug 4, GNA - The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Collins Dauda on Tuesday inaugurated a newly reconstituted Lands Commission for the Greater Accra Region. The 16- member commission is chaired by Mr Oko Nii Nikoi and Alhaji Alhassan as secretary.

Mr Dauda noted that the people of Ghana anticipate a stress- free process of land registration and as a result expect the commission to work hard to reduce the bureaucracy, fraudulent practices and frustrations associated with the process.

He said land issues would continue to hinder national development if the bottle necks associated with Land administration were not removed.

The minister said government was committed to return all lands that remained unutilised by the State in conformity with the Lands Commission Act 2008, (Act 767).

The act specified that "there shall be no disposition or development of any stool land unless the land commission of the Region in which the Land is situated has certified that the disposition or development is consistent with the development plan drawn up or approved by the planning authority of the area concerned". Mr Dauda said the act provided the commission the mandate to collaborate with the planning authorities to regulate and control land development to protect waterways, opened spaces, road reservations and other land reserved for public use.

Nii Armah Ashietey, Regional Minister said the Regional Security Council met to discuss a number of issues which include the many chieftaincy disputes, and land litigations in the area. He said the land related disputes were often triggered by multiple sales of lands by the chiefs.

He said land registration in Greater Accra was frustrating because it was difficult to obtain land title certificate leading to the obstacles in acquiring building permits.