By Sarah Baafi
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has announced that government has commenced a comprehensive review and audit of all public lands sold in recent years to determine whether due process was followed.
Speaking during a working visit by Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang to the Ministry, the Minister said the exercise is intended to safeguard public assets and ensure that the state received value for money.
He explained that any land transaction found to have breached established procedures or left mandatory processes incomplete would be revoked.
According to the Minister, the decision to review past land sales follows increasing public concern that some state lands originally acquired for specific purposes, such as agriculture and national development, were unlawfully sold or mismanaged by officials entrusted with their protection.
He cautioned that officials implicated in any wrongdoing would be exposed and sanctioned to deter future abuse. The Minister stressed that all public land transactions are being scrutinised to confirm that proper valuation was conducted and that all statutory processes were strictly adhered to.
“We have begun a thorough review process. One of the issues we all heard was that public lands acquired by government for specific purposes, including agriculture, were being abused by some of the very people mandated to protect them,” he said.
He revealed that a special team, led by his Deputy Minister, has been constituted with Cabinet approval to carry out the exercise.
“By the time we complete this process, it will not even cross the mind of any government official to attempt to take public land, because we will publish your name in every newspaper,” the Minister warned.
“All public lands that have been sold are under review to ensure value for money and to confirm that proper process audits were conducted. Transactions that did not complete the required procedures will be automatically cancelled,” he added.
The Minister said government is determined to fully implement the outcome of the review to restore public confidence and assure Ghanaians that public lands will be protected in the national interest.
