Mr. Mireku Duker with members of the North East Lands Commission at Nalerigu
The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mireku Duker, has inaugurated the North East Regional Lands Commission.
The inaugural ceremony which took place at the Regional Coordinating Council in the North East Region witnessed the swearing-in of 13 officers into the lands commission.
The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mireku Duker, at the ceremony, expressed his gratitude to the chiefs and people of the North East for showing commitment to partner with the government to bring land administration to the doorstep of the people.
He also congratulated the chairman and the new officers of the lands commission on their appointment to the commission.
“This inauguration is the first of its kind, especially coming at a time the land is bedevilled with many challenges militating against the growth of the development of this country.”
According to him, the lands commission Ac 2008, Act 767 mandated the commission to advise government, district assemblies, chiefs and traditional authorities on policies frameworks for the development of particular areas of the country and to ensure that the development of pieces of lands conforms with the relevant development plans for the area.
He noted that the Lands Act which was passed by the seventh parliament now addresses most of the challenges that bedevilled land administration.
He urged the appointed members of the lands commission to ensure that the functions set up in the constitution under Article 258 and the lands commission Act are achieved.
Mr Duker reiterated the government’s commitment to continue with its agenda to improve the land sector to make life much better for the people of the region and mother Ghana as a whole.
Speaking at the ceremony, the North East Regional Minister, Yidana Zakaria, said the region has a land size of 10484 Sqkm which requires a regulatory body to regulate the land usage in the region.
“The regional lands commission is, therefore, one of the key institutions the region has been yearning to have and I am happy that eventually the commission has been inaugurated.”
He charged the newly sworn-in officers to spend time to study the land tenure system of the area in other to get themselves abreast with what is required of them to be able to do their duties properly.
“As a commission, you should not only be interested in the allocation and documentation of government lands but also preserve our natural resources.”.
Mr Zakaria entreated the commission to earmark land banks to be able to attract investors into the region.
He said the Regional Coordinating Council(RCC) has initiated the process to develop a regional spatial framework for the North East Region and a structured plan for Nalerigu- Gambaga as the Regional capital and assured that his office will work closely with the commission to ensure the successful implementation of the project.
FROM Eric Kombat, Nalerigu