By Joyce Danso
Accra, Jan. 03, GNA – Dr Gad Asorwoe Akwensivie, the Land Governance Advisor, has said the President-elect, John Dramani Mahama’s victory inspires hope for effective land governance in the country.
“John Dramani Mahama’s victory at the 2024 polls presents an opportunity to improve land management and administration in the country.
Dr Akwensivie in a statement to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra said Mr Mahama’s return to power would provide a golden opportunity to restore and instill discipline in the land market.
He said it would also improve the utilisation of the nation’s natural resources compared to the performances of the outgoing government.
Dr Akwensivie explained that Mr Mahama’s ‘24-hour economy policy’ would also re-set the economy for growth and job creation.
In a related development Kwaku Ansah Asare, a legal luminary and a state man and Mr A.B.A Fuseini, the Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu, also expressed confidence in Mr Mahama’s ability to reset land management and administration to restore confidence in the way state lands were managed and allocated.
The two statemen urged the in-coming government to review and overhaul the regime governing state land management and to halt “state capture” and abuse in the allocation of government lands to political appointees.
They also urged the in-coming government to address the many other challenges facing the land sector and where possible return lands to their original owners particularly those the state did not have use for.
The two statemen were optimistic that land administration would see improvement for the collective good of all, particularly for traditional authorities, stools and families.
Currently, the land market has been characterised by general indiscipline, difficult access to land, multiple sales, frequent litigation, a weak land administration regime and inadequate security of tenure, as well as conflicts of interest between and within stools, skins, families and clans.
The incoming government had planned to introduce a Citizen Service Delivery Charter which would address some of these challenges by streaming service delivery by public officers and hold public officers accountable
The Charter would also ensure strict enforcement of the code and conduct for public servants.
Under the Charter, the current state land allocation regime would be revised and replaced with a framework that restores trust, confidence and transparency, while eliminating abuse of power by political appointees.
GNA