Lands Commission ordered to release information to OccupyGhana

The Lands Commission has been ordered by the Right to Information Commission (RIC) to release information on returned State lands to the pressure group OccupyGhana.

The Lands Commission was also fined GH100,000 by the commission for previously denying OccupyGhana’s request.

In its ruling on March 1, 2023, the RIC, among other things, ordered the Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission to provide information on all public lands over which the government has relinquished ownership.

“The Executive Secretary [of the Lands Commission] shall ensure that the following pieces of information are released to the Applicant [OccupyGhana] not later than 14 days after receipt of this decision:

a. A list of all public lands over which government’s ownership or control has been relinquished, and the names of the person to whom those lands have been released;

b. The respective sizes and locations (suburbs, towns/cities and regions) of all such lands;

c. The conditions of release, whether free, sale, lease or licence;

d. If the land has been leased, the amount of rent paid or payable; and

e. Any other amounts paid or received by the government, if any, for each such transaction,” the RIC ordered.

In a statement reacting to the ruling, the pressure group said, explaining why it had to drag the Commission RIC.

“For a while, we tolerated the risible excuses, starting with the 7 June 2022 demand for the details of ‘any personality’ within our organisation, to the 21 June 2022 blame of its own ‘manual’ systems.

“But when on 2 September, the Lands Commission finally claimed that it was waiting for the Attorney-General’s advice on whether the consent of the persons to whom the State lands had allegedly been transferred was required to provide the information, we were compelled to seek the RIC’s intervention.”