Ghana risks witnessing “land war” – Expert
Mr Stephen Djaba, International Relations Officer of Licensed Surveyors Association of Ghana (LISAG), on Wednesday cautioned that Ghana could witness a “land war” if strong legislations are not implemented to address the confusion in land management.
He noted that the weak land regulatory and enforcement system had given rise to land guard trepidation, mortgage challenges, numerous land litigations as well as multiple sale of lands by owners and some traditional authorities would not guarantee the peace of the nation.
Mr Djaba was speaking to the Ghana News Agency at the end of the first day of a four-day advocacy workshop organised by the Society for Managing Initiatives and Leadership Enhancement (SMILE), Ghana and sponsored by Business Sector Advocacy Challenge Fund in Accra.
The workshop is to build the capacity of members of LISAG to effectively engage Parliamentarians for the review of existing Surveyors Laws and create the awareness for usage of cadastral plan for survey. Cadastral surveying concerns itself with the survey and demarcation of land for the purpose of defining parcels of land for registration in a land registry system.
Mr Djaba expressed worry that some people did not patronise the services of Licensed Surveyors stressing that the negative practice was a bane to land safety and socio-economic development.
He said he was dissatisfied that some foreigners allegedly owned lands even though the country’s laws forbids that the practice.
Mr Djaba said the laws allowed land leasing to foreigners but not outright sale.
He expressed disquiet over the absence of clear boundaries that demarcated districts from constituencies.
Mr Djaba said it was difficult to clearly demarcate the boundaries between Greater Accra and the Central Region as well as Greater Accra and the Eastern Region.
Mr Paul Oduro Frimpong, Executive Director of SMILE, Ghana said he was hopeful the advocacy would enable members of the Association carry out their lobby for a review of the existing law on land survey.
Source: GNA