Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Minister-Designate for Lands and Natural Resources, has expressed strong opposition to the sale of public lands. He emphasized that any future transactions involving these lands should be conducted at prevailing market rates to safeguard the interests of the Ghanaian people. During his vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on January 27, Armah-Kofi Buah criticized current practices that allow public lands to be undervalued and sold at significantly lower prices, describing this as harmful to national development.
Armah-Kofi Buah outlined the current guidelines used by the Lands Commission, explaining that public lands are often sold for just 25 percent of their market value, with the remaining amount paid as ground rent. He argued that this practice effectively undervalues state-owned assets and deprives the nation of essential revenue.
“At present, the guidelines for selling public lands according to the Lands Commission state that they are valued at only 25 percent of their actual worth, and that is the price at which they are sold, with the rest paid as ground rent. This practice needs to stop; if there is a necessity to sell, it should be done at the current market value to ensure that Ghanaians are not shortchanged.
The sale of public lands to Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) has been a contentious issue in Ghana, with concerns raised about transparency, fairness, and accountability. Over the years, there have been reports of influential individuals, including politicians, government officials, and their associates, acquiring prime public lands at heavily discounted prices.
Critics argue that these transactions often lack transparency, with limited public oversight or competitive bidding processes. In some cases, prime lands located in urban centres have been sold to PEPs at prices far below their market value, depriving the state of significant revenue and raising questions about favouritism and abuse of office.
By: Kabah Atawoge
