By Bright Philip Donkor
A member of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Council of Elders and Director of Protocol, Kwadwo Afari, has cautioned the John Mahama-led government not to trample on the land rights of citizens under the guise of reforming the small-scale mining sector.
In a statement, Mr. Afari expressed serious concerns over the implementation of the newly introduced Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP), a flagship policy touted by the Mahama administration as a sustainable, community-led alternative to illegal small-scale mining.
While acknowledging the government’s intent to promote environmentally friendly and community-driven mining operations, Mr. Afari indicated that such efforts must not come at the expense of customary, family, stool, or individual land ownership rights.
“No small-scale mining operation, licensed or unlicensed—has the right to operate on family, stool, or individual land without the full consent and fair compensation of its rightful custodians,” Mr. Afari stated.
Land ownership
He emphasised that mining licences do not and should not override land ownership, cautioning that any attempt to impose mining activities on private or customary lands without due process would amount to state-sanctioned exploitation.
He reminded government agencies, district assemblies, and regulatory bodies of their constitutional obligation to protect the property rights of citizens, adding that the era of colonial-style land appropriations must come to an end.
“Customary and private landholders must be treated as partners and shareholders not as weaklings whose properties could be appropriated by an overbearing state without compensation,” he said.
Mr. Afari described Ghana’s post-independence land management system as historically exploitative and called on state institutions to correct past injustices, rather than perpetuate them under the banner of reform.
Stand firm
He called on landowners—be they families, stools, or clans, to stand firm in defending their rights, and to never surrender their lands without written consent, transparent terms, and lawful compensation.
“Ghana’s development must be built on justice and individual property rights, not colonial-type political appropriations,” he added.
Mr. Afari reiterated the importance of partnership and civic respect in the pursuit of national development, insisting that land-related projects must be anchored in fairness, transparency, and respect for the rule of law.
“Let us move forward with integrity, ensuring that every project—mining or otherwise—is rooted in lawful partnership and civic respect,” he urged.
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