Reclaim state lands
The Kontihene for Ejura, Nana Odeasempa Antwi Obugyei, has charged the government to reclaim all state lands that have been taken over illegally by individuals.
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He said the interest of the state should be paramount because if those lands were developed the entire nation, not individuals, would reap benefits from them.
Nana Obugyei’s statement follows comments made by the Director of Works at the AMA, Mr Victor Mensah, on national radio (GBC Radio) that the collapsed building at Nii Boi Town had no permit because that land stretching to Santa Maria was meant for the construction of an ultra-modern international sports complex but had been taken over by individuals.
According to him, the state, with all its machinery, should be able to reclaim such lands without fear, favour or political inclination.
In giving a human face to the move, he said, the government should serve between 10 to 15 years’ notice to all such people who had built on state lands before the take-over.
That, he said, would give them enough time to relocate, adding that the problem persisted because of the lack of political will by successive governments, as they did not want to incur the wrath of voters because of fear of losing elections.
He further stated that state lands were state lands, even if it would take government hundreds of years to develop it.
Nana Obugyei also called on the government to pass a law that would bar any state official from purchasing any state property, because being in government was to serve the interest of all but not for personal aggrandisement.
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He added that all should be treated equally before the law and that some few people should not lord it over others.
He said people had become so indisciplined because of the notion that when they built on state lands to a certain level, the buidings could not be demolished. He charged the courts to deal decisively with such issues without fear or favour to serve as a deterrent to others.
According to the Kontihene, the cost of government projects had gone up because the government had to negotiate for the release of lands from traditional authorities for projects meant to benefit the entire nation after certain individuals had taken over the state lands meant for such projects.
Nana Obugyei has, therefore, urged the government to strengthen the state agencies charged with the responsibility to hold government lands in trust to perform their functions effectively.
He blamed city authorities for sitting aloof when those buildings were springing up, and said if the authorities had acted promptly, the country would have been in a far better position than what obtained now.