Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has announced the establishment of a multi-agency Public Land Protection Task Force as part of sweeping reforms following a nationwide review of public land leases.
The Task Force forms a central pillar of government’s response to findings from a comprehensive review of 8,160 lease applications processed between 2017 and 2024. The review, conducted by a committee chaired by Deputy Lands Minister Hon. Sulemana Yusif, revealed widespread non-compliance with internal procedures of the Lands Commission, undermining transparency and exposing public lands to potential abuse.
Speaking at a press conference, Buah said the Task Force has been constituted to safeguard public lands during the transition and implementation of newly approved reforms.
The Task Force will operate within the framework of the Constitution, the Lands Commission Act, 2008 (Act 767), the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), and applicable criminal laws relating to trespass, unlawful entry and illegal development.
It will comprise personnel from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources, the Lands Commission, the Ghana Police Service and allied security agencies, as well as a selected private sector stakeholder with relevant technical expertise.
According to the Minister, the mandate of the Task Force includes preventing encroachment, halting unauthorized developments, and ensuring that public lands currently under review are protected from illegal occupation and construction.
The establishment of the Task Force comes alongside broader measures approved by Cabinet, including the cancellation of all uncompleted public land transactions under review, case-by-case reassessment of completed allocations, the introduction of a revised Public Land Application Form (Form 5), stricter internal controls at the Lands Commission, and a new premium framework requiring a minimum of 70 percent of the market value of public land to be paid upfront.
Buah emphasized that public lands are vested in the President in trust for the people of Ghana and must be administered in the national interest. He said the creation of the Task Force demonstrates government’s resolve to protect state lands from mismanagement, misuse and unauthorized disposal.
He also confirmed that the temporary suspension of Lands Commission services has been lifted, with leasing and regularization activities resuming under the newly introduced compliance regime.
