Offinso (Ash), March 10, GNA - Members of the Offinso Traditional Council have issued a stern warning to family heads and individuals engaged in either the sale or disposal of lands in the traditional area to immediately put a halt to the practice, since they have no authority whatsoever to sell lands in the area.

They made it clear that, it is only the Omanhene of the Offinso Traditional Area, Nana Wiafe Akenten III who has the mandate to either dispose of any piece of land, or authorise the sale of any such land in the area.

The Councillors explained that the practice whereby private individuals, sold out land to prospective developers was not only illegal, but also an attempt to usurp the legitimate authority of chiefs as custodians of the land in their areas of jurisdiction.

The warning was issued by the members of the Offinso Traditional Council at a meeting held by the council at Offinso on Tuesday, to educate chiefs on the policies pertaining to land administration and disposal.

The meeting was also to discuss the rampant illegal sale of lands by some family heads and individuals, as well as settlers and to adopt measures to curb the trend.

Addressing the meeting, Nana Wiafe Akenten said even though in certain traditional areas families and individuals owned land, and had the right to sell such lands, the situation in Offinso area was different, because of its history.

"The lands in the Offinso Traditional area fall under the Omanhene, who administers them through divisional and sub-chiefs, and not families or private individuals", he stressed.

Nana Wiafe Akenten attributed the unhealthy practice of sale of land by "recalcitrant individuals in the area, to ignorance of the history of Offinso, and rules governing the sale of lands".

He, therefore, called on all chiefs in the traditional area to embark on a series of education forums to enlighten their subjects about the land policy in the area, to avoid such illegal land transactions by individuals.

Mr Joseph Oduro, Offinso District Chief Executive, who also addressed the meeting, announced that the Government had elevated three town councils in the district namely, New Offinso, Akomadan and Afrancho to the status of Urban Councils.