The Head of the Lands Commission’s Regional Operations Unit, Raphael Hokey, has suggested that corruption in land administration may be more prevalent in customary land management.
He emphasized that the Commission only manages a small percentage of state land, estimated to be less than 5%, while customary lands make up over 80% of the country’s land area.
Hokey made these remarks at a national expert forum in Accra, organized by the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII).
He noted that customary lands are often managed by chiefs and family heads, who may allocate or dispose of them at their discretion, sometimes leading to disputes and litigation.
Hokey advocated for the establishment of guidelines and rules to ensure sanity in land administration, with the support of traditional rulers.
The forum focused on guidelines for large-scale land-based investments in Ghana, highlighting the importance of land in shaping the country’s socio-economic landscape.
Executive Director of GII, Mary Awelana Addah, emphasized the need to address challenges such as corruption, unequal land access for women, and environmental sustainability concerns in land administration.”
