An ultra-modern office which will serve as the hub of activities for the Greater Accra Lands Commission has been commissioned by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor.

The complex, which is made up of a number of spacious offices, a conference room and an auditorium, was constructed with internally generated funds (IGF) from the regional office of the Greater Accra Lands Commission.

Commissioning the facility on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, Jinapor commended the management and staff of the Greater Accra Lands Commission for ensuring the completion of the first and second phases of the project.

He also shed light on the cultural significance of lands as well as its value to the country’s economic performance. Owing to this recognition, the lands minister believes that a lands administration system devoid of fraudulent activities and ineffectiveness is of utmost importance to the government.

“The importance of land to our socio-economic development cannot be overemphasised. All human activities revolve around land. Land is the fulcrum to the success of all sectors of the economy such as Agriculture, Mining, Security, Manufacturing, Finance, Trade, Education, Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy, Health among others. Hardly, anything gets done without land. Indeed, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) estimates that some ninety percent (90%) of our population derive their livelihoods directly or indirectly from land.

“Apart from its importance to development, land in our country is of cultural significance. Our traditional political systems and our political economy, revolve around our land ownership and tenure. Our quest to transform our national economy and bring about the much-needed development and prosperity to our people, cannot, therefore, be achieved if we fail to anchor an effective land administration,” he said.

Samuel Abu Jinapor then dealt with the specific case of the Greater Accra Region, highlighting the crucial role it plays as the busiest regional office in the country and the need for the management and staff to ensure the effective delivery of land administration services.

“Without a doubt, the Greater Accra Region, holds a special place in land administration in our country. I am told, unsurprisingly, that it is the busiest Regional Office of the Commission. It is, therefore, imperative that we provide a befitting office space that ensures that majority of our people who access their services get the best of service delivery. With this state-of-the-art facility, I am convinced that the Commission will fulfil its vision of becoming a beacon of excellence in land services delivery,” he added.

The lands minister also outlined some major reforms and interventions by the government to develop a robust and effective land administration anchored on decentralization and digitalization.

“As our nation evolves and our land-related challenges become more complex, it is imperative that we adapt and enhance the capabilities of the Lands Commission to meet the demands of the modern era. That is why under the able and outstanding leadership of President Akufo-Addo, we have been championing reforms in land administration with the view of transforming the Lands Commission into a modern, efficient, and customer-centric institution capable of meeting the diverse needs of our society.

"At the heart of these reforms is the decentralisation of land administration. We have, therefore, established six (6) fully digitised offices for the six (6) new Regions, and we are establishing Satellite Client Service Access Units (CSAU) in all Regional Offices of the Commission across the country to bring land administration services closer to our people, and ensure greater accessibility and efficiency in land-related transactions.

“Effective and efficient land administration includes providing suitable workspaces for staff of the Commission, and providing the necessary tools and equipment to promote productivity. This building we are commissioning today is, therefore, part of a number of projects being undertaken to provide conducive work environment for the staff of the Land Commission, and those who access the services of the Commission. A new office complex for the National Lands Commission is almost complete, and a District Office for Tema, which is about seventy percent (70%),” he said.

Benjamin Arthur, the Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, disclosed the completion of the project forms part of efforts by previous and present management to ensure that staff of the commission work within a conducive environment, that allows them to deliver consistent performances.

He noted that the coming to fruition of the project is indicative of the shrewdness of the management and assured that given more resources, the management will do more and improve their performance.

He further stated that as the beneficiaries of the building, the Commission is committed to ensuring the adequate maintenance and utilisation of the edifice to efficiently and effectively support the back office operations towards improved Lands Service Operations.

Lawyer Alex Quaynor, National Chairman of the Lands Commission, disclosed that a new office complex in Tema will soon be operational to provide all services to clients in the Eastern part of the Greater Accra Region.

He added that building offices is part of measures to weed out individuals, especially goro boys, whose constant presence interrupts with service delivery.