The Government of Ghana has directed the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Lands Commission to immediately begin a comprehensive audit of all state lands allocated, leased, or sold between 2017 and 2024.
President John Dramani Mahama, who issued the directive during the inauguration of the reconstituted National Lands Commission on Tuesday, September 2, said the exercise will target lands originally acquired for public use including schools, hospitals, state institutions, forests, and ecological reserves that may have been unlawfully converted for private interests.
“I’ve directed the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Lands Commission to immediately undertake a comprehensive audit of all state lands allocated, leased, or sold, particularly between 2017 and 2024,” President Mahama said. “This audit will cover lands acquired for schools, hospitals and public institutions, forests and ecological zones unlawfully converted to private use in a transaction tainted by conflict of interest, abuse of power or political patronage.”
He stressed that any transaction deemed illegal or improper will be reversed and the land recovered in line with the law.
“Where illegality or impropriety is discovered, such transactions will be reversed and the land will be recovered to government by law,” the President cautioned. “We’re not on a witch hunt.”
At the same time, he assured individuals and institutions who acquired land legally through the proper processes that they have nothing to fear.
The directive forms part of sweeping reforms aimed at restoring public trust in Ghana’s land administration system, which the President has described as “broken” due to years of political interference, institutional decay, and mismanagement.
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Source: Frederick Kofi Thompson-Quartey/ATLFMNEWS
