Chief Justice advocates ban on acquisition of license by small-scale miners

Chief Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah has called for a ban on the acquisition of licenses by small-scale miners in the country. This, he said, will promote sanity in the country. His Lordship, Justice Baffoe-Bonney, who relayed the message on behalf of the Chief Justice, called for a complete stop to the issuance of licenses to small-scale mining companies. He urged licensed surveyors to master digitalization and adapt to changing times to remain relevant in the Association. The Chief Justice noted some "lazy" licensed surveyors contribute to the rising land litigation issues the country is dealing with. According to him, these roadside surveyors, who work without ethical standards, only sign plans for paltry amounts without thinking about the adverse effects of their actions. "I believe that for now, we should stop issuing licenses either for small-scale legitimate mining companies. It is difficult to know who is a legitimate miner and who is a "galamseyer". Apart from the Obuasi, Prestea, the recognized Gold miners, for now, everybody should be banned so that we can have some sanity". He added that the oath sworn by some licensed surveyors had become mere rhetoric. Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah said this at the 4th Seminar and Annual General Meeting of Licensed Surveyors Association of Ghana. "Permit me to talk about the ethical standards that we are fast losing out on some licensed surveyors. The oath sword and same imprinted on plans before signing has remained mere rhetoric. I am very convinced, and it is my considered view that, if licensed surveyors appraise themselves with all the processes in the field, they shall append their signatures on true work done on the ground. His Lordship Chief Justice Anin-Yeboah also called for a strong collaboration between LiSAG and the judiciary to ensure a better working relationship. "I will call on LiSAG to deepen their collaboration with the judiciary. I know you have begun some engagements, and I urge you to design capacity-building workshops to train judges on the rudiments of your practice and the changing phase you so espouse. "The changing phase also means a new way of working with the judiciary to ensure sanity in land registration since the cadastral plan is one of the foremost documents to be relied on for the transactions. "We are ready to assign some of the licensed surveyors to our courts so that they can assist the judges understand the plans or maps before hearing and, in some cases, conduct an independent survey for contesting parties." President of The License Surveyors Association of Ghana, LISAG, Samuel Larbi Darko, has cautioned land buyers in seeking the services of unlicensed individuals who pose as professional surveyors in the demarcation of lands and property. According to him, background checks from the lands commission or the License Association should be made on surveyors before any contract is made. This he said will ensure the protection of a contractor in case of a breach of law. He bemoaned the high cost of instrumentation and duties and called on government to support in financing of the Association. The event was held on the theme: "The Changing Phase of Cadastral Surveying for Effective Land Management". Mr Larbi-Darko said before one engaged a surveyor to map out a land, the individual needed to ensure that the surveyor was licensed and registered to do a professional job. He stressed that that had become necessary due to the activities of "quack' and unregistered surveyors in the system, whose unprofessional conduct was affecting the reputation and integrity of the profession. The Licensed Surveyors Association of Ghana, LISAG, was initially thought of to address the welfare needs of its members. The Association came to being formally on the 14th of September, 2005, during a meeting at the headquarters of the then survey department in Accra. The licensed surveyor's Association of Ghana has gone through a number of phases in its development as an Association. It has gained a lot of recognition due to its public position on issues of land management and its collaboration with the Land Commission. The Association, which started off as a welfare body for its members, has now morphed into an Association that is championing the national agenda. The Association has not had a change of leadership since its inception and only organized its first-ever elections at the last Annual General Meeting held in October 2021. Numbers have since grown to almost two hundred members, and with an innovative policy that is helping the course of its members. The Vice President of the international federation of surveys, Kwame Tenadu Snr, charged members of the Association to show commitment in the execution of their duties to make the association work. He advised them to prioritize digitalization to ensure efficiency in their duties. The head of decentralized services/ office of the local government services, Dr. Nana Ato Arthur, indicated that the activities of unqualified individuals posing as Licensed surveyors are negatively affecting land mapping in the various districts of the country. He charged stakeholders in the Association to be vigilant and report defaulters to face the full rigours of the law. He also urged the Association to collaborate with the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to ensure proper land demarcation at the local level. "The activities of unqualified individuals have negatively affected the mapping processes within the districts. I wish to therefore charge all stakeholders to look out for such persons in an effort for them to face the full rigours of the law. I am told that some people get away with contentious plans through the connivance of professional licensed surveyors. This attitude is not professional. I, therefore, call on licensed surveyors not to append signatures on any fraudulent plans. Let us rise to a higher calling and ensure the highest ethical standard". He said land management was a major challenge the MMDAs faced, hence the need to collaborate with them to ensure proper land mapping and usage. Licensed Surveyors are a body of authorized Surveyors poised to undertake the demarcation and survey of land for the preparation of cadastral plans on behalf of the Director Survey and mapping division of the Lands Commission.