Samuel Abu Jinapor, Lands and Natural Resources Minister, has debunked claims he reckoned as misleading concerning the rejection of portions of the new lands Act by the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
According to him, the Asante Kingdom has its own systems of accountability concerning the sale of land which they hold in trust for his office. Mr Jinapor explained that the Asantehene’s concerns does constitute rejection.
It will be recalled that the law which was passed this year puts the traditional authority in a fiduciary role over lands and authorises subjects to demand accountability over the use of proceeds from land sale. However, the Asantehene, during a meeting between the Ashanti Region House of Chiefs and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, revealed that areas under his leadership are exempted in the application of the Act.
“I explained that first of all when you read the Act as a whole, the Act defines who can mount an action first of all. Number two, the Act also enjoins anybody who wants to go to court to exhaust the internal customary procedures before you can go to court and when it got to Otumfuo’s turn, Otumfuo said look, ‘my Chiefs don’t be too worried about this provision because it doesn’t particularly apply in Asanteman because here we account properly for the proceeds of our land administration so the issue of invoking that provision will not even arise in the first place…’ Otumfuo did not say the sections of that Act does not apply to Asanteman. He didn’t say so”.
Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor
Mr Jinapor insisted that the Asantehene indicated that “it will not arise any way because here they account for their lands properly”.
“I agree with him totally because the places where I have the least trouble in terms of lands administration is Asanteman, Ashanti Region because the lands are properly managed and the proceeds that come out of the sale of land are accountable”.
Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor
Lands minister urges chiefs to embrace new land Act
On December 17, 2021, Mr Jinapor, urged the members of the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs to embrace the Lands Act, 2020 (Act 1036), which came into force on December 23, 2020, for effective and efficient administration of land in the country.
He opined that the new law which revises, harmonises, and consolidates existing laws relating to land, has several innovative provisions that will promote sustainable land administration and management, and effective and efficient land tenure.
The Minister made these revelations at a meeting of the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs where he engaged the members of the House on the Lands Act. The engagement was at the invitation of the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs to educate them on the provisions of the Act and to discuss matters pertaining to the lands and natural resources of the country.
The Minister used the occasion to explain in details the law to the members of the House, particularly on the provisions relating to the management and administration of stool lands.
Mr Jinapor reminded the chiefs that they held lands in trust for their subjects, and were, therefore, fiduciaries, accountable to their people. Under the Land Act, a breach of this fiduciary duty constitutes a criminal offence.
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