The Lands Commission has served notice to the general public, that starting from today January 17, it will undertake a demolition exercise with assistance from the Ghana Police Service to reclaim state lands that have been encroached upon.

This is as a result of the urgent need for a more extensive exercise to recover and protect all encroached portions of the state lands, including demolition of unauthorised structures, following a reconnaissance inspection of sites by a joint team of Lands Administrators and police officers.

A Press release from the commission, signed by its Executive Secretary, James E. K. Dadson, disclosed that the under section 236 of the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), it had engaged a private agent, with the assistance of the Police Service to reclaim and protect such sites.

The commission identified the lands to be reclaimed as approximately 1,381.995 acres at Kweiman-Amrahia, which was a site for Modern Dairy Farm under Instrument, 1970 (E.I.47).

Also, under Instrument 2009 (E. I. 16) an approximate area of 111.25 acres at Accra-Mpehuasem, a site for the Accra Training College as well as the site for Livestock farm located at Nungua, Accra, covering an approximate area of 2,570.05 acres and acquired with Certificate of Title 214/40) through Instrument, 1940.

The Commission expects the public to offer its maximum support and co-operation to ensure smooth exercise.

Reports Of Encroachment

Mr Dadson revealed that the commission had in recent times received a number of reports of encroachments on state lands within the said areas by unknown armed men. He indicated that the illegality started during the festive season in December, 2022 and continues to occur.

Mr Dadson emphasized that the said parcels under threat were part of government acquisitions with compensations paid and would, therefore, use every legal means to protect them.

The commission also reminded the general public that all state-acquired and vested lands in the country were administered by the government through the Lands Commission. However, government acting on a goodwill, released parts of the acquired lands to the pre-acquisition owners and it was thus worrying that the rest of the state lands were being encroached upon by armed men.

“It is against this backdrop that the team, therefore, would be undertaking the demolishing exercise to recover and protect these state encroached lands.”
lands Commission

The Commission on behalf of the Government, manages public lands and any other lands vested in the President by the Constitution or by any other law and any lands vested in the Commission. It also advises the Government, local authorities and traditional authorities on the policy framework for the development of particular areas of the country to ensure that the development of individual pieces of land is coordinated with the relevant development plan for the area concerned.

Also, in collaboration with other bodies, it instil order and discipline into the land market through curbing the incidence of land encroachment, unapproved development schemes, multiple or illegal land sales, land speculation and other forms of land racketeering.