Source: newsthemegh.com
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has announced intentions to digitize the land tenure system and make land registration free for chiefs in order to resolve long-standing land conflicts in Ghana.
This program is a component of a larger plan he has presented to address problems with the land tenure system.
Speaking to the clergy in the Greater Accra Region, Dr. Bawumia emphasized that one major obstacle keeping chiefs from registering their estates is the high cost of registration fees, which frequently results in ownership disputes.
He emphasized the need to update the land tenure system, citing developed nations as examples where it is easy to find online information about land ownership.
“In many advanced countries, if you want to know who owns the land, you can find it on your mobile phone without visiting the land registry. We are going to digitise our land records to prevent many of the disputes that arise because no one really knows who owns the land,” Dr Bawumia explained.
“Many people claim ownership, and a major issue is that many of the stool lands are not registered. I discovered that many chiefs struggle to pay the registration fee because it’s expensive. So, we are going to provide free registration for all chiefs,” he said.
Dr. Bawumia addressed the controversial National Cathedral project in response to a different query, advising the church to take the lead in figuring out a course of action that includes looking into financial sources from the private sector.
“The National Cathedral is very important for Ghana, and I have personally contributed to it. However, the church must collaborate with the government to discuss the future of the National Cathedral.
“The church should come together to determine the best way forward and explore how we can secure private resources to help complete the Cathedral,” he stressed.