The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio, paid a working visit to Mpehuasem on Wednesday, July 13, 2022, to see for himself the situation at the site after a press conference to condemn encroachment activities on government-owned land at Mempeasem, a suburb of Accra, and to declare government's determination to win back the acres of land.
He told the media that the goal of his visit was to demonstrate to Ghanaians and the general public the work that the Lands Commission has done to fulfil its mandate to protect government lands and make sure that all developments, particularly those on state lands, follow carefully thought-out plans.
He emphasised in his argument that "It is not acceptable to allow slum development on public property. Additionally, we should never tolerate anyone just encroaching on public lands and claiming them as their own private assets ".
He said that despite several requests to prohibit the construction of such structures, the majority of the development at the site was carried out without suitable development plans.
He stated that owners of these constructions must have them regularised, and those who are unable to do so would be quietly removed in order to preserve the lands for usage in the future and for future generations.
The Deputy Minister also mentioned that in order to clean up and guarantee appropriate management of lands in the nation, the Ministry and the Lands Commission work together with the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council.
He stated that not only in Mempeasem but also in places like the CSIR, Frafraha, Sakumano, Ramsar Site, Diary Farms Amrahia, and others, the Lands Ministry and all other stakeholders will continue this work of destruction and sanitization quietly and without any struggle.
Mr. Owusu-Bio revealed that the government, through the Properties Commission, had in 2019 rewarded the Chiefs a second time with 114 acres of land out of a total of 225 acres in the region in response to the matter of compensating the local Chiefs who could have rights to these lands.
In addition, he made it clear that AYNOK Holdings is a legitimate business that the Lands Commission has hired to assist it in reclaiming public lands, emphasising that "the commission has the constitutional mandate to employ whoever it chooses to support it in their line of work and that is why they work with the police, the military, and all those security agencies to help eliminate the illegalities in the system."
He bragged that Samuel A. Jinapor, the sector minister, has given the lands sector his full support and permission since he is really worried about these land concerns and has thus directed them to make sure that the correct thing is done everywhere.
In order to prevent consequences like destruction in the future, Mr. Owusu-Bio advised the people to contact the Properties Commission and get their lands lawfully registered. He said, "Those who are doing the right thing will be encouraged while those doing the wrong thing will be penalised."
For his part, Mr. Dadson pointed out that the Ayawaso West Assembly had given the Lands Commission permission to start a fully planned land programme that would see to the installation of drainage systems and guarantee that the region was effectively set out.
Mr. Dadson emphasised that anyone building structures in the vicinity should stop all work so that the commission may begin developing its plan for the region's correct layout.
He said that landowners who have constructed constructions on their properties must go to the Lands Commission to own up and, if required, regularise their properties.
When we start implementing this plan, even if you have a finished structure that is in a waterway or possibly a path designated for a road, it will be bulldozed off to make way for the road. It will be good if those who have finished and furnished structures visit the Commission to have them regularised.