Twenty (20) Member Board Land Commissioners Inuagurated In Bolgatanga UER

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, has inaugurated the Upper East Regional Lands Commission at the Regional Coordinating Council in Bolgatanga. 

Mr. Ammewu tasked the 20-member Commissioners to work hard to help address the challenges in the lands sector to realize the set dream and targets.

Addressing the members, Mr. Amewu said that, many challenges facing 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 will also pave the way for the implementation of many of the government flagship programs such as the One-Village, One-Dam, One-District-One-Factory, the Planting for food and Jobs, the Coastal, Middle Belt and Northern Development Authorities, road, railway and telecommunication infrastructure.

He mentioned the countless land litigations among 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, haphazard development across board and encroachment on public lands and delay in processing land documents and registration of lands as some of problems. 

Mr. Peter Amewu expresses worry over 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. 

He cited some of the key ministries areas, the residencies and some agriculture investments like the Tono and Vea Irrigation Projects, road reservations, schools and hospitals among others in the region. 

The Sector Minister told the commissioners that, they are expected to manage public lands and any other lands vested in the President by the constitution on behalf of the government, and advice government, local authorities and traditional authorities on the policy framework for the development of particular areas of the country to 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 program 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, Rockson Ayine Bukari, who chaired the occasion 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 also appealed to Commissioners to sensitize communities for the implementation of the government flagship programs, stressing, and it is becoming very difficult to acquire lands for the implementation of the programs and for development partners who have expressed interest to invest in the region. 

The National Coordinator of the Commission, Stephen Ntim, assured the Commissioners that government will commit resources and logistics to ensure that they work to achieve the desire set targets.
 
According to him, he has no doubt in the caliber of personalities who has 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, Jonathan Agme, on behalf of his colleagues thanked the Government for the confidence reposed in them and pledged that they will work hard to help government accelerate development.

GBC