Govt advances processes for de-vesting public lands

A review committee on the return of vested lands has recommended that majority of the lands should be given back to the pre-acquisition owners.

The committee also identified some lands that had special state interests, and called for special dispensation from landowners in the management of such properties. The report of the committee, which was presented to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, yesterday indicated that chiefs had agreed that the state would pay “a token” for the continuous use of those lands.

In accordance with Section 270 of Act 1036, the Lands Minister set up the De-vesting of Public Lands Committee in June 2021 to make recommendations for the de-vesting of vested lands.

Following the completion of that exercise, the minister inaugurated the De-vesting Lands Review Committee on February 23, 2022, to review the work by the Lands Commission’s committee.

Following the recommendations of the review committee, Mr Jinapor gave a firm assurance that the government would fast-track the process of giving back vested lands to the pre-acquisition owners.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic after presenting the report to the minister, Mr Kubi explained that in reviewing the work done by the de-vesting committee, the team he led had to go to various sites to engage pre-acquisition owners and speak to some of the chiefs whose lands had been vested in the state.

“That is why we recommend that they stay vested so that there is a committee appointed by the minister involving the Lands Commission, the landowners and land users, so that we can come together into a management committee to manage the interest in such lands,” he said.