Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has unveiled a comprehensive plan to address the longstanding land disputes in Ghana.
As part of this strategy, he intends to eliminate registration fees for chiefs and introduce a digitized land tenure system. During a meeting with the clergy in the Greater Accra Region, Dr. Bawumia emphasized that the exorbitant cost of registration fees has been a major obstacle for chiefs in registering their lands, leading to frequent ownership disputes.
By removing this financial burden, he aims to facilitate a smoother and more efficient land registration process. Furthermore, Dr. Bawumia stressed the significance of modernizing the land tenure system.
He cited examples from developed nations where land ownership information is easily accessible online, highlighting the need for Ghana to adopt similar practices.
Through these initiatives, Dr. Bawumia aims to bring about positive changes in the land tenure system, resolving disputes and promoting transparency and accessibility in land ownership.
In many advanced countries, if you want to know who owns the land, you can find it on your mobile phone without visiting the land registry. We are going to digitise our land records to prevent many of the disputes that arise because no one really knows who owns the land,” Dr Bawumia explained.
Many people claim ownership, and a major issue is that many of the stool lands are not registered. I discovered that many chiefs struggle to pay the registration fee because it’s expensive. So, we are going to provide free registration for all chiefs.
Dr. Bawumia, in response to a distinct inquiry, discussed the contentious National Cathedral initiative and emphasized the importance of the church taking the lead in seeking a viable solution. He specifically suggested exploring alternative funding options from the private sector.
The National Cathedral is very important for Ghana, and I have personally contributed to it. However, the church must collaborate with the government to discuss the future of the National Cathedral.
The church should come together to determine the best way forward and explore how we can secure private resources to help complete the Cathedral.
