The Bono East Region has secured 310 acres of land for the establishment of government institutions and other public infrastructure.
The acquisition follows the formalisation of a Deed of Gift by the Lands Commission and the Techiman Traditional Council, permanently dedicating the land to the region's development.
The dedication process of the land which began in 2019 following the creation of the region is expected to provide permanent sites for ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), as well as other key public facilities to strengthen decentralisation and improve public service delivery in the region.
The gesture by the council is expected to address the infrastructure deficit of the relatively young region and provide a structured enclave for government institutions seeking to establish permanent offices in the regional capital.
At the formalisation ceremony in Techiman last Friday, the acting President of the Techiman Traditional Council, Nana Owusu Gyare, warned against any attempt to divert the land from its intended purpose.
He insisted that the acreage should be used strictly for public infrastructure development.
Nana Gyare, who is also the Akwamuhene, urged the government to ensure the judicious use of the land.
"We have instances where governments acquire lands and leave them undeveloped. Our expectation is that the land will be utilised judiciously.
"We also do not want to hear stories of public lands being carved out and sold to private individuals," he said.
Nana Gyare stressed that the traditional council would resist any attempt to misuse the land or divert it to purposes other than those for which it had been donated.
The Regional Chairman of the Lands Commission, John Owusu Agyemang, assured the traditional authorities that the commission would protect the land and ensure that it was used solely for public purposes.
He said the commission would vigorously resist encroachment and prevent the allocation of the land to private individuals.
"We want to assure Nananom that the land will be used strictly for the purpose for which it was given.
It will not be allocated to individuals but to state institutions that require land to establish their offices," Mr Agyemang said.
Appreciation
The Bono East Regional Minister, Francis Owusu Antwi, expressed gratitude to the Council for the gesture and pledged that the land would be utilised judiciously.
He said the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) had identified farmers currently working on portions of the land and had resolved to compensate all those who would be affected by future developments.
The minister further assured that the RCC was prepared to allocate portions of the land to government institutions ready to construct permanent offices in the region.
The Deed of Gift covers a total of 350 acres, comprising 310 acres donated by the Techiman Traditional Council and an additional 40 acres already under government ownership.
The Regional Chairman of the Lands Commission, John Owusu Agyemang; the Krontihene of the Techiman Traditional Council, Nana Takyi Firi, and the Chief of Forikrom, Nana Kesse Basahyia, signed the document to seal the permanent transfer of the land for the development of government infrastructure in the region.
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