LAND DIALOGUE: Chief Justice’s call…

The Chief Justice has called for a National effort to End Land Disputes, Reduce Land Related Court Cases, Eradicate Land-based Corruption and Enhance the Value of Land as the most important resource in business…

The current Chief Justice’s call must start with a frank public discussion on the acquisition of prime lands by Chief Justices, Supreme Court Justices, Judges, Lawyers, Law Makers and State Actors which is the basis of corruption, abuse of power and hiding of the proceeds of corruption…

Laws exist to achieve all the above; the Land Law – ACT 1036 has harmonised all land related laws.

Transparency and Accountability is the key requirement of ACT 1036;

All fiduciaries including Chiefs and Government officials are required to be accountable to the People whose Lands they hold in trust and be transparent in all Land Transactions.

The President must through the Lands Minister immediately make public the Status of all State Acquired Lands.

Additionally, the Works and Housing Minister must publish the status of all State Bungalows.

The Lands Commission must immediately halt all transactions and flag all suspicious land transactions to be investigated, especially where such Lands have not been registered by the Stool Lands Secretariats as required by law.

Samuel Abu Jinapor lamented on national television that the people who are revered in our society drive around on weekends looking for State Lands and Bungalows with little or no activity then come to his office to pressure him to allocate these prime lands to them and pay ridiculous prices for these prime lands.

Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo paid GHc7000 for prime Cantonments State Land worth millions.

The current Chief Justice’s call must start with a frank public discussion on the acquisition of prime lands by Chief Justices, Supreme Court Justices, Judges, Lawyers, Law Makers and State Actors.

The International Students Hostel Land Looting involving a Sitting Chief Justice, Judges and Lawyers is a classic case.

How cheap Akweteyman land was exchanged for prime Airport Residential area land via a telephone call is worthy of investigation…

The La Stool Lands have been the most affected by the State Sponsored Looting and Clandestine Annexation by the Military…

The current NPP National Chairman Mr. Stephen Ntim was accused by Hon. Kennedy Agyepong of leading a State Land Stealing Syndicate at the Lands Commission during his tenure as the National Chairman of the Lands Commission.

Hon. Kennedy Agyepong testified that he was defrauded when he was fraudulently allocated State Lands acquired for the CSIR and after workers agitations was asked to go and steal new State Lands so he it is allocated to him by the Lands Commission.

The Chief Director of the Lands Ministry confirmed to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Lands that the notorious Landguard Clemence Gyato and his Anyok Holdings Vigilante group have an illegal agreement with the Lands Ministry to reclaim encroached State Lands and be paid with portions of the State Lands which is shared with some government officials…

Finally, there must be clarity in the land ownership structure and an agreed revenue sharing formula akin to that between the Administrator of Stool Lands, District Assembly and the Stool.

All Land transactions must have a verifiable paper trail and any Exchange of money or preparation of indenture must be preceded by a Bank Receipt identifying all parties to the transactions with verifiable Identification documents such as National Identification Cards, Passport etc.

THE LA LAND – CASE STUDY:

All La Lands from Peduasi through Adentan, Madina and its villages; more especially Legon, Airport, Cantonments and Labone have come under attack by Land Looters.

The La Stool has a well defined structure with subdivisions known as Akutsei and their respective Akrowai overseeing these Lands.

La has a Community Bank, the La Community Bank which holds the key to eradicating these ills that the Chief Justice has identified and bring sanity into the Land Administration, ensure accountability and transparency as required by the new land law.

All La State entities, from the La Stool through the Akutsei, Akrowai and persons entitled to revenue from Land transactions must necessarily have accounts at the La Bank which must open branches in all the La areas including its villages for easy access as all transactions and payments will originate and terminate at the La Community Bank branches…

Unfortunately, vested interests especially the Courts, Judges and other State Actors have used the legal system and court judgements to distort the structure and harmony over the years.

The Supreme Court interpretation of the Constitution of Ghana Article 20; in the La Mantse Nii Kpobi Tettey Tsuru III vs Attorney General judgement in which “Public Interest” was equated to “Public Purpose” thus allowing State Acquired Lands to be systematicalky allocated to third-party including Real Estate Developers rather than being returned to the Original Pre-acquisition Land Owners with the right of first refusal; must be immediately set aside as it constituted a travesty of Justice as it deprives the owners of their Lands in perpertuity over time.

The conversation has just started, but the Chief Justice must show greater commitment to actions arising from the talk;

TALK IS CHEAP.

The National Cathedral Project resulted in the movement of Judges, Judicial staff and the Judicial Training School to Cantonments and Airport Lands belonging to the La Stool further encumbered La Lands, a situation that must be immediately addressed.

The 15th April Kpletso Shooting and Assault by armed men in Ghana Army uniforms leading to injuries suffered by La Citizens and some journalists led to deaths has been treated with impunity by the Military High Command, Police, National Media Commission,CHRAJ and the State…

The injustice meted out to the La Stool, the La State and the La People is best captured by the lackluster approach of the President to the Petitions signed by then La Mantse Nii Kpobi Tettey Tsuru and delivered to the Office of the President in December 2017 and the refusal of President Akufo Addo to act on the Article 146 Petition for the removal of Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo for two (2) years until she retired on her 70th birthday.

LET’S TALK BUT, ACT FAST.

1. Designate the La Community Bank as the sole Bank for all Land Transactions in the La areas…

2. Set up the La Stool Lands Secretariat immediately to among others oversee and arbitrate La Land Disputes

3. The digitized Map of La Lands at the Lands Commission must be shared with the La Stool Lands Secretariat with Concurrent approval required to conclude all La Land transactions.

4. All La Stool Lands Documents must be vetted and approved by the La Stool Lands Secretariat with the Stamp of the La Mantse as final requirement.

5. All 2024 Presidential Aspirants must make public their policies on Land…

FACT:
President John Dramani Mahama has promised establishing a Presidential Commission of Enquiry into the Looted Stolen State Lands and Bungalows as well as the Expropriation of GaDangme Lands.

Ghanaians are eager to hear from the sitting Vice President and Flagbearer of the ruling NPP too.

Ghanaians anxiously await the Parliamentary Probe into the Looted Stolen State Lands and Lands Ministry’s illegal agreement with Clemence Gyato and Anyok Holdings.

Ghanaians are resolved to be Citizens and not Spectators;

The call is to, together eradicate Landguardism and Vigilantism especially the State Sponsored Stealing and Looting of State Lands and Bungalows…

STAY TUNED.

By Prince-Derek Adjei