The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has underscored the importance of digitizing land records and the formation of a specialized task force as pivotal measures that have improved transparency in land administration.
He noted that these initiatives have significantly mitigated instances of fraud within the sector. Mr. Jinapor made these remarks during a press conference held in Accra on Wednesday, August 14.
He also urged the Judiciary to prioritize land-related cases, emphasizing the necessity for prompt legal proceedings to uphold the integrity of public lands.
The government, he affirmed, remains dedicated to the protection of Ghana’s public lands. Additionally, Mr. Jinapor, who serves as the lawmaker for Damongo, asserted that claims of state capture directed at the current administration lack any substantiated evidence or data from the Lands Commission.
He reiterated that all land transactions conducted under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo have been in strict compliance with the established land administration laws.
There is a question about selling public lands to public appointees. The rule of the game is evidence, if anybody has evidence that a public appointee has bought public lands and has done so in a manner that offends the code of ethics of public officers and that the person has put himself in a position of conflict of interest, why not, we will take a look at it.
For myself, as a general rule, I do not think that public appointees should go anywhere near public lands. I think if you want lands to buy, go and look for lands in the private space, not public lands because of the very thing line of conflict of interest, it is very easy for you to cross that line but if you have any evidence that any public officer has bought lands and he has done so inappropriately we will be happy to look into that.
The Minister additionally asserted that allegations regarding the sale of land owned by the judicial service during the Akufo-Addo administration are untrue.
He indicated that the evidence and records from the Lands Commission reveal that these lands were sold during the Mahama administration in 2026.
He characterized the accusation as a “manifest falsehood.” It is worth noting that Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, has claimed that the current Akufo-Addo administration sold lands belonging to significant state institutions amidst accusations of state capture.
The allegation was that the judicial service land was sold under this Akufo-Addo government and that is evidence of state capture but when these allegations are made my attitude is very simple, to put together the record, and assemble the facts before we make any decision.
When the facts were assembled it turned out that the lands were not sold by under President Akufo-Addo. On the contrary, the land was sold under President Mahama in 2026.
Asked whether the government will take the initiative to retrieve the lands, he said
If they were not granted properly and we think that the grant is fraught with fraud or impropriety, why not, we will take steps to retrieve them. Always remember that when it comes to land acquisition, when you have a lease or contract and it is governed by law it is not that straightforward to cancel a lease or withdraw a lease but if there is a need for it we will take those steps.
