Customary Land Secretariat inaugurated at Duayaw-Nkwanta
The Office of Administrator of Stool Lands (OASL) has inaugurated a Customary Land Secretariat (CLS) at Duayaw-Nkwanta in the Tano North District in the Brong-Ahafo Region.
Nana Nsuase Poku Agyeman III, Ashanti Regional Lands Officer, inaugurating the CLS called on the Regional Houses of Chiefs to give queen-mothers the deserved recognition to minimize chieftaincy and land disputes in the country.
He noted that because queen-mothers were not given the desired recognition, they failed to nominate qualified royals as chiefs when stools became vacant.
“They rather nominate “soft” royals whom they can influence or control to become chiefs”, a situation, Nana Agyeman said was a major contributory factor to perennial chieftaincy disputes in the country.
Four CLSs have been established in the Brong-Ahafo Region, at Dormaa-Ahenkro, Techiman, Nkoranza and Drobo while that of Wenchi is yet to be inaugurated.
They are established by the OASL with support from the Government through the Land Administration Project (LAP) in consultation with local land owning communities, as a specialized entity to improve land management and administration in the country.
Nana Agyeman, who is also a Chief Stool Lands Officer observed that queen-mothers hold high positions in society and ought to be allowed to play active role in land administration in the country.
“By so doing, land related disputes and conflicts would be minimized to promote peaceful development in the local communities, “he added.
Mr. George Osafo-Mireku, Brong-Ahafo Regional Lands Officer in a speech read for him, explained that the first phase of LAP ended in 2011 with some recorded positive outcomes such as the setting up of 38 CLSs countrywide.
In addition, deeds registries were decentralized to nine regional capitals, thus, effectively bringing deeds registration closer to clients, with a reduction in service delivery time of the registration from more than 38 months to about three months.
Mr. Osafo-Mireku said LAP II is expected to strengthen achievements made under LAP I and also record positive results among others in strengthening policy, legal and regulatory framework for land administration.
He urged personnel at the Secretariat to endeavour to provide the people with accurate information on land in the area.
Mr. Osafo-Mireku was optimistic that with the establishment of the CLSs, communities could access and demand for the Customary Boundary Demarcation Facility under LAP II.
Source: GNA