Twenty 20 Member Board Land Commissioners Inuagurated In Bolgatanga UER

Land continues to be a very important natural resources in the world. Due to its key role in the development process, land encroachment and litigation are some of the various challenges confronting the country. 

The situation is therefore not different in the Upper East region. As part of effort to tackle some of these challenges, the Upper East Regional Lands Commission has been inaugurated in Bolgatanga. 

The 20-member Commissioners as part of its mandate is to manage public lands. 

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. John Peter Amewu, indicated  that the many  challenges in the land sector when  addressed, can  help  Ghana realize her dream of becoming the gateway for business in Africa.  

Mr.   Amewu said,  meeting  the challenges in the land sector  would also pave the way for the  implementation of  many of the government flagship programmes including the One  Village, One Dam, One District , One Factory , the Planting for food and Jobs , the Coastal , Middle Belt and Northern Development Authorities and others such as road , railway and telecommunication infrastructure. 

The Sector Minister disclosed this during the inauguration of the Upper East Regional Lands Commission at the Regional Coordinating Council in Bolgatanga. 

He tasked the 20-member Commissioners to work hard to help address challenges in the sector to realize set targets. 

He mentioned the countless land litigations including different parties before courts, customary authorities engaged in multiply sale of lands, falsification of land documents in different public agencies, high cost of survey charges which discourage owners from doing proper documentation, delays in processing land documents and registration of lands as some of problems. 

He regretted that the poor inventory of lands that were acquired by the Government in the past, had made many clans and communities to lay claims to such land thereby encroaching on them. 

The Sector Minister told the commissioners that, they are expected to manage public lands and advice government, local authorities and traditional authorities on the policy framework for the development of particular areas of the country. 

This will ensure that development of individual pieces of land is coordinated with relevant development plan for the area concerned. 

He stressed that, they are also expected to formulate and submit to government recommendations on national policy with respect to land suitability and capability, advice on, and assist in execution of comprehensive programme for the registration of title to land throughout the country as well as perform other functions assigned by the sector minister. 

The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Rockson Bukari also expressed some concerns about the uncoordinated planning of the land sector agencies in the region making it difficult for most of the Assemblies to properly develop land boundaries and do proper documentation. 

Mr. Bukari therefore charge the land sector agencies to work together as a team to address the challenges confronting the Assemblies. 

The Regional Minister therefore appealed to the Commissioners to sensitize communities for the implementation of the government flagship programmes, stressing that it is becoming very difficult to acquire lands for the implementation of the programmes and for development partners who have expressed interest to invest in the region. Mr. Bukari however expressed worry about some negative activities of the land sector agencies.

The National Coordinator of the Commission, Mr. Stephen Ntim, assured the Commissioners   that government would commit resources and logistics to ensure that they work to achieve the desire set targets. He stated that he had no doubt in the calibre of personalities who had been selected to represent the Commission in the Region and entreated them not to betray the trust and confidence imposed on them.

The Chairman of the Upper East Regional Lands Commission, Mr. Jonathan Agme, on behalf of his colleagues thanked the Government for the confidence reposed in them and pledged that they would work hard to help the government accelerate development.