The Fight Against Land Grabbing Has Begun: Is This Battle Winnable?

Ghana’s lands are fast dwindling and we cannot afford to lose them. The forest cover has changed and the threat to wildlife, water bodies etc. are imminent, according to its forest data. Between 1990 and 2000 the country lost an average of 135, 400 hectares of forest per year. That amounts to an average annual deforestation rate of 1.82 per cent.

Overall, between 1990 and 2005 Ghana lost 25.9 % of its forest cover or around 1, 932,000 hectares. Indeed the above numbers tell it all but it could be worse. Yes, I’m pretty sure today‘s (2005-2017) data wouldn’t be pleasant, given the rate at which our lands are being sold indiscriminately and the wanton destruction of the ecology by Galamsey operators over the last decade.

Thus, I couldn’t agree more with the Lands and Natural Resources Minister on his clarion call that’s seeking to stop the sale of state lands. Mr. Peter Paul Amewu has warned officials of Lands Commission across the nation to halt the sale of state lands with immediate effect.

The sector minister, who was inaugurating a newly constituted 30-member Volta Regional Lands Commission in Ho, also issued this fiat: “The practice where a few politicians, political parties, people who consider themselves rich, fight and grab government lands shall no longer continue under President Nana Akufo-Addo. The past is gone and we are in a new era where democratic practices will need to direct the citizens that we are really taking good care of their resources”

“Yeate Abre.” Someone said that to me in Ghanaian Twi Language: Meaning we’ve heard these kinds of threat from government officials many times. We’ve seen the chest beaters and those that pound the tables, yet with no fruitful results. They’ve failed to back their threats with action, according to the concerned citizen.

So, Mr. Amewu I put this to you.
Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? (Matthew 11: 3 KJV).

See, ants aren’t elephants but they’ve giant plans. They don’t procrastinate. They attach eagerness to their work and they always ensure that they’ve enough food in the barn to feed not only for themselves but also their not yet born. And I shudder to say we haven’t proven to be good custodians with regard to our lands. The ants have stockpiled their barn while ours is tanking by the day.

Our forebears bequeathed to us fat lands: Lands that stretched from Accra to Zagreb and beyond. They left us lands that had abundant resources stored up to take care of tomorrow. We used to have picturesque landscapes. We used to have greenbelts that mirrored the Amazon in Brazil. Backyard gardens took care of households and families.

Do we still have them today?
Before we lived here they’d lived here. But they didn’t rob the lands of their resources. The forest maintained her virginity. Even though they farmed a lot they preserved their sanctity. How about the streams and rivulets? Tiny as they were they still maintained their status regardless.

The endangered species were protected. When was the last time you sighted a four-legged (I am not referring to domestic animals) in the thicket near you? The threat level of their very existence has crescendoed. And that steady increase is a warning to humanity. Just like the trees. Back in the day, gold, diamond and other minerals resources had a sanctuary. There weren’t bastardised as we’ve done to them today.

Today all of them are facing extinction. God forbid if we continue this way we would have nothing to show posterity. It appears every pocket of land today in our big cities has a property on it. For example, lands earmarked for schools, clinics, roads, malls and stores or amusement parks have often been encroached by either squatters or land guards. Unfortunately, we’ve painstakingly, fought to deface, deplete and destroy the lands.

The Lands Minister says the indiscriminate and aggressive disposal of state and government lands for private use across the country will no longer be tolerated. According to him, the country depends heavily on land to execute projects to ensure socio-economic development. He emphasised government’s resolve to eradicate poverty and unemployment through the ‘One District One Factory’ and the Planting for Food and Jobs,’ adding that the projects would be executed on lands, and that adequate steps would therefore be taken to protect all government lands across the country.

Compensations
One problem that has often dogged lands sale in Ghana is the issue of compensation. Fair play is jettisoned and in most occasions land owners are unjustifiably treated. Mr. Amewu said the issue must be addressed without any recourse. He therefore charged the Commission to ensure due diligence to address the concerns of aggrieved land owners, who have not been paid compensation after the State acquired the lands.

“In addressing these concerns, the Regional Lands Commission, is expected to take strong measures to curb the activities of quack surveyors in the region, whose work encourages conflicts over land ownership resulting in delays in the payment of compensations,” he added.

Dr. Archibald Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister, who is championing the fight against indiscriminate disposal of government lands to private individuals in the region has tasked the Commission to take hard steps to address challenges facing land administration in the area.

Meanwhile, the chairperson of the newly-constituted Volta Regional Lands Commission, Mama Dzidoasi, has charged the members of the Commission to be truthful and fearless in the discharge of their duties to protect the integrity of the Commission.

She also pledged to work in partnership with the various Municipal and District Assemblies to carry out an inventory of State acquired and occupied lands to ensure the execution of government’s infrastructural projects.

Finally, to Mr. Amewu, I wish you good luck in your fight against land grabbing in Ghana. I’ve chosen to call it World War II. Galamsey, illegal mining is the First World War, which is still ongoing. As you’re well aware none of the battles is going to be easy. To win these battles, you’ll need the unwavering support of the government. And I think anything short of that would backfire. Nevertheless, I think you’ve demonstrated commitment and eagerness so far. Remember, you’ve today picked up a fight not with your enemies but your cohorts, friends, kinsmen, politicians. But do I need to remind you of this biblical line: ‘How can Satan fight against Satan,” remarked Jesus.