The many hoops you'll have to jump through before you build your house in Ghana

Be warned, this is a rant. I notice I'm complaining a lot about life in Ghana now. I guess the scales finally fell off from someone's eyes.

For the past several months I've been trying to get proper documentation for a piece of land, but it is taking so long, and there's not a thing I can do about it.

First I had to find a surveyor to come do his magic so he could give me some paper showing the land and its location in latitudes and longitudes. I pay this guy but it takes him 3 weeks to produce the document because he has to get it signed in some head office and things take a while there.

Finally I get this document. Then I pay someone else (the chief's relative) to get me a registered indenture and that takes 3 weeks.

Then the indenture has to get signed by the chief and all who co-own the land with him. Some of them live far away in Suhum. But all the signatories must sign and they all want their cut so I have to pay them all. sigh. I've done this, but a week has gone by already and still, only the chief has signed. Thankfully I've only paid half the money so hopefully they'll speed it up since they want the rest.

Next, I have to get a land title certificate. I don't even know where I need to go to get this. Does anyone here know? Is there a way to do it quickly?

Following that, I'll need to get a building permit. Will I be able to do all this in the next month? Someone said it will take at least 3 months to get the land title certificate! I'm already tired. Why does it have to be so hard? Will I have any money left to build that Hollywood crib once this is all over?

Esi Cleland is a copywriter at Publicis Ghana. To read more of her articles, visit http://www.maameous.com

Originating at times.fienipa.com