By Kodjo Adams
Accra, Sept. 15, GNA—Two Customary Land Secretariats have been inaugurated in Sunyani in the Bono Region and Kwahu Obomeng in the Eastern Region to promote effective, transparent, and accountable land administration at the customary level.
The inauguration of the Secretariats is part of the government’s commitment under the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands (OASL) to, among other things, serve as a reliable repository of land records and promote orderly planning and use of land.
This was contained in a statement signed by Mr Gad Asorwoe Akwensivie, the Administrator of Stool Lands, copied to the Ghana News Agency, in Accra.
Mr Akwensivie commended the effort by the traditional authorities of Sunyani and Kwahu Obomeng towards the establishment of the secretariats.
He said: “The ceremony reflects a deep sense of responsibility towards your people. It also demonstrates your belief that customary land practices can coexist with modern systems of land administration.
”Land is a very powerful tool for the national development if very well managed, but it could retard national development and become a source of conflicts when mis-managed.
“The fact that about eighty per cent of lands in Ghana are held under customary ownership places great responsibility on our traditional leaders to manage land in a manner that is beneficial to the present and future generations.”
Currently, there are about 100 Customary Land Secretariats in different parts of the country, which are helping to strengthen collaboration between customary authorities and state institutions, including the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands, the Lands Commission and the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority, the National Development Planning Authority, and Land-Based NGOs.
Mr Akwensivie stressed that the successful management of the secretariats was critical to promoting cordial working relationships amongst all stakeholders in land administration in the various communities.
He urged the staff and Land Management Committees to uphold the principles of integrity, professionalism, and accountability, adding that the trust of the people should be earned and maintained.
The Administrator of Stool Lands encouraged the people of Sunyani and Kwahu Obomeng to support the operations of the secretariats by making use of their services, adding that a well-functioning secretariat is a shared responsibility between traditional authorities and subjects.
Mr Akwensivie said the government remained committed to supporting such initiatives and promised that the OASL and the Lands Commission would continue to provide technical support to ensure that land secretariats fulfil their intended purpose as spelled out in the Land Act 2020.
He challenged the Land Management Committees of both secretariats to work hard to ensure that the secretariats serve as models for other stools, skins, clans, and family land-owning communities in the country who are yet to establish one.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Kodjo Adams
Reporter’s email address: [email protected]