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Multiple land sales is a security threat
Audrey Micah, Ghanadot
Accra, Feb 16, Ghanadot - One of the problems
posing as a security threat to this country is the multiple
sale of land by individuals and Institutions, either for
housing or other purposes. Land has become a vexed issue in
this country and there seem to be a haphazard scramble for
it all over the country.
This has resulted in a lot of land cases pending before the
law courts. What appears to have worsened the situation is
the rapid urbanisation of the country, with people trying to
acquire lands in the fast developing towns and cities. At
present, there are over 4,000 suits pending at the courts to
determine the rightful landowners.
The situation has invariably led to disputes among family
members. In most cases, injunctions are placed on the
development of such lands until the rightful owner is
ascertained. Meanwhile an investor or an individual who has
borrowed money to develop the lands has to wait while his
loan accumulates interest.
The Lands Commission was set up by the lands commission (Act
483) to manage public lands efficiently, advice and
facilitates good land delivery system in the country through
proper documentation and good records keeping so as
contributing to the socio-economic development of the
nation. Unfortunately, many families and individuals have
lost their lands to other people due to the commission's
inability to live up to expectation.
It is reported by most people who were victims of multiple
land sale that most of the times, staff of the commission
are payed to either change or destroy the evidence to a
particular land and that has created mayhem in the country.
Recently, the government reviewed and restructured the
commission to facilitate prompt service delivery, improve
the efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, and
responsiveness of the commission to meet the needs, wishes
and desire of their client, customers and stakeholders, but
unfortunately, this efforts is not yielding any results as
far as the multiple land sale is concerned.
But the Chief Registrar of the Lands Commission, Mr. Owusu
Sarfo, promised that frantic efforts are underway to improve
on the registration system of land title in the country.He
noted that though structures have been put in place for land
documentation, land owners continued to create confusion, by
indulging in multiple sales of land.
Mr. Sarfo observed that due to the negative practices
engaged in by land owners, persons involved in the purchase
of the same piece of land, without knowing that it had
already been sold, engaged in litigation at the courts.
He advised those interested in buying plots of land, to take
the necessary precautions to identify the rightful owners of
land, before seeking to register the property, to avoid any
legal battles. Mr. Sarfo also advised landowners, to
document their lands and then register, to avoid conflicts
over who owns the land.
To him when this is done, others would see the importance of
land documentation, and the preparation of site plans, as a
crucial exercise, that would go a long way to reduce
problems associated with land acquisition, and its attendant
effect on the development of the country.
He reminded the people that in the documentation process,
land owners should engage the services of qualified and
licensed surveyors, particularly in the preparation of the
site plans, because in recent times many were those who have
been parading themselves as surveyors, and ended up creating
problems.
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