GHA forms Lands Committee/Task Force …to check encroachment on road reservations
By: Sebastian R. Freiku, Kumasi
The Ashanti Regional Directorate of the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) has constituted a Regional Lands Committee/Task Force to check encroachment on road reservations by prospective developers.
The three-member Task Force is headed by the GHA Regional Surveyor, with the GHA Regional Investigations Officer as member/secretary and the GHA Regional/Zonal Environmental Officer for the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions as a member.
The Task Force, with the active assistance of the Municipal and District Assemblies, would clear all encroachers sited within the road reservation.
The formation of the said Task Force follows a meeting last Tuesday between the GHA, under the directorship of Mr. Sitsofe David Addo, and the Ashanti Regional Director of the Town and Country Planning Department.
Following, it has been directed that all municipal and district chief executives along the Kumasi-Accra Highway do not issue permits for the siting of temporary structures within the GHA's road reservation of 45 metres or 150 feet measured from the existing centre-line on both sides of the road.
According to a statement signed by Mr. Emmanuel Asina, Regional Administrative Manager of the GHA, on behalf of the GHA Regional Directorate, the Task Force commences work with immediate effect.
The Chairman of the Task Force explained that the measure would save the nation a huge amount of money that would needlessly go down the drain in future, as compensation to encroachers and occupants of the road reservation.
The continuous development of properties by prospective developers on road reservations on the main Kumasi-Accra road has been a source of worry to the GHA since February 2009.
In a memorandum, with reference No. GHA/ASH/AGJV.11/049, and dated February 4, 2009 to the Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Council, the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Valuation respectively of the GHA, as well as regional directors of the Land Valuation Board, Lands Commission and all concerned MMDCEs for the attention of all unauthorised developers, the then acting Ashanti Regional Director of the GHA, Ing. Brown, cautioned that development on road reservations constituted encroachment.
In the circumstance, encroachers are accordingly reminded that there would be no claim for compensation in respect of properties developed on such road reservations, because the GHA would not entertain such claims.
In cases of compensation, the GHA indicated that the provision of State Lands Act 125 of 1962 would apply with respect to affected properties