The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has announced a sweeping review of public land lease applications processed between 2017 and 2024, following a directive from President John Dramani Mahama to suspend all transactions involving state lands.
Addressing journalists at a press briefing yesterday at the Ministry’s conference room, the Minister disclosed that a total of 8,160 lease applications had been examined as part of government’s efforts to protect public lands from abuse and strengthen transparency in land administration.
According to him, the reviewed applications included 4,176 direct allocations, 2,799 regularizations, 19 allocations involving state bungalows, 108 land swap or public-private partnership arrangements, 795 subsequent transactions, and 263 fresh allocations.
Mr. Buah explained that the review was initiated after President Mahama, on January 10, 2025, ordered the Lands Commission to halt all dealings in public lands due to concerns over procedural irregularities.
“A number of these applications did not fully comply with the Lands Commission’s internal procedures. These lapses undermined transparency, accountability, and public trust,” the Minister stated.
Uncompleted transactions
He revealed that all uncompleted transactions under the affected categories had been cancelled, adding that applicants would be duly informed.
“Completed transactions will undergo a case-by-case review, and any allocation found to have breached due process will be revoked,” he warned.
As part of measures to restore discipline and prevent future abuses, the Minister outlined a series of reforms, including the revision and standardization of the Public Land Application Form, the introduction of stricter internal controls at the Lands Commission, and a new requirement for mandatory written approval from the Lands Minister before any public land allocation can be finalized.
He further announced plans to establish a Public Land Protection Task Force to curb encroachment and unauthorized development on state lands.
Although the temporary ban on public land transactions has now been lifted, Mr. Buah stressed that all future allocations must comply strictly with the new reforms.
“Public lands are vested in trust for the people of Ghana and must be managed in the public interest,” he reiterated.
Broader review
The Minister also disclosed that a committee had been constituted to conduct a broader review of public land leases across all sixteen regions of the country.
He stressed that the reforms were intended to safeguard state lands, rebuild public confidence, and ensure that public resources are managed fairly and lawfully for the benefit of all Ghanaians.
The committee is chaired by the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Yusif Sulemana, and includes Collins Dauda, MP for Asutifi South and Chairman of Parliament’s Lands Committee, as well as Prof. Bruce Kofi Banoeng-Yakubu, Prof. Kwame John, Esq., and Rev. Dr. Lawrence Tetteh.
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