A REFRESHING GESTURE (APRIL 18, 2009)

THE return of land to the Nungua Stool in Accra by the government is refreshing news.
Although the offer has come late in the day, as it is said, it is better late than never. From colonial times, governments have acquired lands for various economic activities, such as the construction of schools, health facilities and residential accommodation.
However, along the line some of those lands were either not used or under-utilised.
Article 20 Clause Six of the Constitution says: “Where the property is not used in the public interest or for the purpose for which it was acquired, the owner of the property immediately before the compulsory acquisition shall be given the first option for acquiring the property and shall, on such re-acquisition, refund the whole or part of the compensation paid to him as provided for by law or such other amount as is commensurate with the value of the property at the time of the re-acquisition.”
Even with this unambiguous and explicit provision, the state decided to ignore the condition, compelling the people, particularly those in the Greater Accra Region, to express concern in order to safeguard their heritage.
A few weeks ago, there were pockets of agitation over land and the resources in the Greater Accra Region because certain people felt that they had been marginalised in the distribution of the national wealth. This resulted in other people in some parts of the country also demanding that they take custody of the resources in their areas.
Thankfully, many peace-loving people condemned those actions as divisive and a recipe for the breakdown of the state.
Now that good reason has prevailed, the DAILY GRAPHIC appeals to the government to fulfil its pledge of extending the gesture to all parts of the country where others have lost their land to the state.
The youth who are interested in undertaking agricultural ventures in some parts of the country have nowhere to turn to except to migrate to the cities in search of non-existent jobs because their lands have been acquired by the government or business interests.
It is also true that Ghana’s land tenure system has become the bane of our development challenges because large tracts of land lie fallow, while the people and investors search in vain for land to create jobs and wealth.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the time has come for major reforms of the land tenure system such that it will be less cumbersome for people to acquire land for investment.
We also appeal to chiefs and landowners to avoid the multiple sale of land in order not to compound the already complex situation in the country.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on the Nungua Stool, the first beneficiaries of the government’s gesture, not to be embroiled in needless litigation over the use of the land, since the government’s gesture will be defeated if this situation persists.
We also call on the government to use this opportunity to carry out wholesale land reforms in the country to serve as a catalyst for accelerated development.