Benito-Owusu Bio with Yidana Zakaria commissioning the North East Lands Commission Office in Nalerigu
The North East Regional Lands Commission’s new office has been inaugurated at Nalerigu in the North East region.
The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Minerals Resources, Benito-Owusu Bio, who was the guest of honor at the inauguration said Articles 258 and 260(1) of the 1992 constitution mandate the creation of the Lands Commission’s regional offices across the country.
According to him, in the past land acquisition could only be accessed from the Tamale office of the lands commission in the Northern region but for the creation of the new regions, people from North East will be relieved from traveling to Tamale for land acquisition and its related issues.
“The era where applicants would have to travel for hours from Walewale, Nalerigu, Chereponi, Moagdori to access land administration services in Tamale has become a thing of the past with the opening of this office.”
He indicated that the provision of formal land administration services plays a significant role in the sector of the economy adding land surveys including mapping, evaluation of the property, state land acquisition, land management, and registration are critical services that help to propel the socio-economic growth of the country.
Mr. Bio noted that an efficient and decentralized land administration system will boost investor confidence in the new regions and ensure that efficient land administration service delivery is brought to the doorsteps of every Ghanaian.
He disclosed that the North East Lands Commission Office shall operate in a fully digital environment.
“ The human interactions will reduce and the issue of attitudes of staff and unqualified agents will be reduced to the barest minimum.”
The North East Regional Lands Commissioner, Dr. Prosper B. Laari, assured the regional staff of the commission that the commission at the national level will provide them with the necessary resources to enable them to work effectively for the development of the region.
The North East Regional Minister, Yidana Zakaria, was optimistic that if the lands commission can do its work efficiently it will result in solving about 80% of problems relating to Chieftaincy and land disputes in the region.
“ I want to urge lands commission to work hard to make sure that we have a record a proper demarcation of all stool-lands so that no chief will move into an area where it’s not under his/her area and so this is one of the issues I think you should help us to resolve.”
He appealed to the Overlord of the Mamprugu Traditional Area, the Nayiri to support the Lands Commission, and the Regional Coordinating Council to educate residents to accept initiatives that will soon be launched to redesign the region.
The Spokesperson of the Nayiri Palace, Mba Taraana, assured the land’s commission that the palace will give the commission the maximum support they need to enable them to work effectively.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale