Office of Administration of Stool Lands calls for support

Wassa-Akropong (W/R), Sept. 26, GNA - The Office of the Administration of Stool Lands (OASL) on Monday marked 10 years of its establishment at Wassa-Akropong on Monday with a call on stakeholders to support its efforts to bring sanity to land administration in the country.

Mrs Matilda Esi Fiadzibey, Administrator of Stool Lands, told a forum as part of activities marking the day that there was the need to streamline the operations of the sector to enhance the collection of land revenue and also forestall land litigations and conflicts. The OASL is charged with the responsibility to ensure maximum stool lands revenue mobilisation and disbursement to enhance the developmental aspirations of the people, as well as help to alleviate poverty. Mrs Fiadzibey said the OASL now operates in seven out of the ten regions and has 70 district offices with plans to expand to the rest of the regions by the year 2010.

She said revenue from the AOSL increased steadily from nine billion cedis in 1997 to 68 billion cedis in 2006, and that it has in its employment 500 Commission Collectors.

The Office, she said, has begun the demarcation of farmlands in the country as a measure to reduce conflicts and support forestation programmes to promote environmental friendliness. Mrs. Fiadzibey noted with satisfaction that some Chiefs and district assemblies were using their share of stool lands revenue to promote development programmes of their people.

Mr. Patrick Amoah, Western Regional Stool Land Officer who presented a paper on "Landlord-Tenant relationship" reiterated that land entrusted in the hands of chiefs couldn't be sold outright. There must be mutual respect and understanding among landowners and tenants to ensure peaceful atmosphere for steady development, he said. Mr. Amoah said all agreements between tenants and landlords must be covered with documents.

Mr. Edward Tawiah Amprofi, DCE for Mpohor Wassa East and Dr. Antwi Adarkwah of the Land Administration Project of the customary Land Secretariat as presented paper on "The use of Stool Land revenue" and the "Operation of the Customary Land Secretariat" respectively. 26 Sept. 06