Panelists disagree on relocation of national capital

Panelists at a symposium on "Land use and administration in the Accra metropolis" were divided over the issue of relocating the nation's capital. Mr Amarkai Amarteifio, former Greater Accra Regional minister who proposed the relocation, maintained that the state of land acquisition in Accra has been "so badly abused that the exception now proves the rule." Citing examples of lands that have been encroached upon, he said the pressure on Accra lands is having a negative impact on the social structures of the indigenes and creating problems which have serious implications for peace. Mr Amarteifio, who spoke on "Processes of land acquisition and compensation of government", maintained that land in and around Accra is acquired on the advice of government officials who sometimes have hidden agenda with many such lands later ending up under individual ownership. Mr Mark Kakraba-Ampeh, Lands Officer at the Ministry of Lands and Forestry, however, argued that the problem of congestion in Accra could be solved. He suggested the relocation of certain government agencies, including the regional capital, elsewhere.