Deputy Lands Minister Breaks Ground for Lands Commission Office Complex in Savannah Region
In a groundbreaking event, the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Yusif Suelmana, on behalf of the substantive minister, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, has cut the sod for the construction of a two-storey office complex for the Lands Commission in the Savannah Region.
Speaking at the event on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, the Deputy Minister said the construction of the magnificent office is to enable the Lands Commission to perform its duties well. According to him, the Lands Commission was established by the 1992 Constitution, making it a vital institution.
“It is important to the extent that if the Lands Commission does its work well, many land disputes will be resolved.” “You go to many communities, and what you see is conflict among friends and neighbors due to land litigation. It is the responsibility of the Lands Commission to demarcate and register lands appropriately to reduce conflicts and unnecessary fighting,” he added.
He added that many entrepreneurs are unable to provide landed property when asked to produce it for banks to advance loans, denying many people access to bank loans due to lack of land documentation. He also noted that foreign investors require land documents when coming to the country to do business, highlighting the need for the Lands Commission to have a suitable edifice to discharge its duties effectively.
He revealed that the Lands Commission has disclosed to the ministry that $165 million is needed to digitize the land administration system, easing difficulties in land registrations. The ministry will partner with the private sector to secure the necessary funds.
He cautioned the contractor against shoddy work, stating that he would visit the site frequently and not hesitate to terminate the contract if the work is not done properly. Conversely, he would recommend the contractor to the ministry for more jobs if they perform well.
The Deputy Executive Secretary in charge of operations at the Lands Commission, Surv. Adu Nsafuah, said this is a dream come true for the commission, and he is delighted. According to him, the Lands Commission’s management, through its five-year strategic plan, decided to have its own office complexes across all regions. Out of the 16 administrative regions, only four have their own offices, while the remaining 12 rent facilities, which comes with significant financial difficulties.
This is the first among the six newly created regions to get an office complex and one of the remaining 12 regions. He added that they spend more time at their workplaces than at home, so they need a comfortable working environment to discharge their duties perfectly.
He assured the minister of the commission’s commitment to ensuring the work is executed on time within the 12-calendar-month contractual agreement. The Lands and Natural Resources Ministry has yet to announce the commencement of office construction for the remaining districts.
The contract has been awarded to CK Engineering LTD.
The event was attended by the Savannah Regional Minister, the West Gonja MCE, chiefs, stakeholders, and workers of the Savannah Region Lands Commission.
