Accra, Sept. 18, GNA - Alhaji Collins Dauda, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources on Thursday asked Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) to desist from parting or leasing government lands under their care to individuals or private companies, since they had no right to do so.

"MDAs occupying state lands have no power to assign, transfer, part with or enter into any memorandum of understanding or other arrangements involving state lands they are occupying without prior written clearance from the lands Commission," he explained.

He said it had come to the notice of the Ministry that several MDAs were entering into private negotiations for the development of state lands without prior consent of the Lands Commission.

"In many instances the private developers are not able to obtain valid tittles to the lands they develop since the government agency that gave them the land does not have these titles themselves, thereby leaving the private developer frustrated" he added.

Addressing the press during a tour by some government officials to selected government lands, which had been encroached upon by private developers, the Minister urged all MDAs to comply with the rules governing the use of state lands in order not to put firms and business operatives into unnecessary troubles.

He advised all government officials to desist from leasing or giving out government lands illegally since they would be made to face the full rigours of the law, if found out.

At the premises of the Museums and Monuments Board, the Minister expressed shock at the high level of encroachment by private companies and called for the demolition of all structures, which had been erected without prior notice of the Lands Commission and the Accra Metropolitan Authority. Mr Alfred Vanderpuije, Mayor of Accra, also expressed his dissatisfaction with the authorities of the Monuments Board for disregarding rules governing the transfer of leasing of state lands to private developers and urged them to furnish the Ministry with all documentations regarding the land transactions. During a tour of lands belonging to the Ghana Railways Authority, it was discovered that lands which lie at the sides of the rail lines from Accra to Tema, had all been encroached by private developers. Mr Mike Hammah, Minister of Transport, who was utterly unhappy about the high level of encroachment along the rail lines, gave the encroachers up to the 15th of October, this year, to vacate their premises of face demolition.

At Tema, the Ministers urged Mr Kempes Ofosu-Ware, Chief Executive Officer of Tema Metropolitan Assembly to demolish all illegal structures and ongoing projects on lands belonging to the Game and Wildlife. The Ministers were particularly appalled with private developments at the Ramseyer Site, established for the habitation of birds and games.