Volta Minister halts sale of government lands

The Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archiebald Yaw Letsa, has expressed dissatisfaction with the unnecessary sale of government lands to individuals and groups in the region, particularly in Ho and other district capitals.

He therefore directed the Volta Regional Office of the Lands Commission to, as a matter of urgency, halt the sale of government lands until further notice.

Dr Letsa noted that the sale of lands had security implications for the region, which would eventually affect its development.

The Volta Regional Lands Commission has for some time been implementing a programme called “Infilling” in the region, which allows it to allocate government lands to people.

The project, according to the Commission, was approved by the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.

Under the programme, the commission surveys, creates plots and grants leases for land near the Volta Regional Minister’s Residency. The leases are granted for as long as 99 years.

After assuming office, Dr Letsa bemoaned the negative effects of the concept whereby allocations had been made too close to the Residency, bungalows of government institutions and public officials to the total neglect of the attendant security implications.”

He therefore called for an immediate halt to the exercise, but for some unknown reasons, the Volta Regional Lands Commission flouted that order and continued to lease the lands.

DAILY GUIDE has gathered that about three acres of land behind the Residency had been leased for the construction of a hotel.

“I am shocked that the Commission is not protecting the lands for future state use nor moved by the basic knowledge that trees and green environment are necessaries in the effectual synergy of plant, animal and human life, which provoked the sages to say that when the last tree dies, the last man dies with it.”

In order to halt the exercise, the Minister has sent a letter to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and the Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission to review or possibly halt the entire exercise.

He therefore assured all who might have paid for lands allocated them under the programme that should there be a review or outright cancellation, their monies would be refunded to them by the commission after proof of payment.

Dr Letsa, who disclosed this during a press conference over the weekend, used the opportunity to advise public officials to serve the national interest.