Stay away from state lands – Minister warns

Mr Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, the Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD), has cautioned private individuals encroaching on portions of land belonging to the Department of Parks and Gardens to refrain from doing that.He said the land belonged to the state, adding that, 'as far as we are aware, there has been no decision indicating otherwise.'The Minister was speaking to the media during a working visit to various Departments and Agencies under the MLGDRD in Accra.Mr Korsah said the Director for the Department was fully on grounds ensuring that the land which belonged to the state was fully protected from encroachers.'The private individual in question is a real estate developer and these are the containers that were brought to the land without any authorisation, but we are taking every step to protect it for the states as it was acquired for,' he added.The Minister said they were not aware as to whether the land had been issued by the Lands Commission to the individual, stating that he had addressed questions in Parliament, fully briefed with comprehensive knowledge of the documentation pertaining to the land.'Subsequently, we pursued legal action, and the court dismissed the case due to procedural inadequacies. We remain prepared for any potential reinstatement of the case and assure you that we are committed to defending the state's rightful interests,' he said.Dr Daniel Kingsford Adams, Acting Director, Department for Parks, and Gardens, said human resources had been a major challenge faced by the Department, and that since he took office in 2021, they realised that most of their workers were aged.He said initially the total number of workers were about 3920, but currently, in Ghana, they were about 517.'The problem is that the people keep going on pension, whereas some of them pass away. We do not replace them, so most of our workers are aged, and the number is also not encouraging.'When you go to other regions some are 17, others are 12 and so on,' he added.The Director said the Department firmly asserted its stance against encroachment on its lands, indicating that all properties under its jurisdiction were acquired through official executive instruments.He said prior to acquiring any land administered by Parks and Gardens, it was imperative to undergo a legal process involving the executive, while approval must be obtained for rezoning or alternative usage aligned with its designated purpose.He lamented: 'Regrettably, individuals purportedly collaborating with district assemblies and influential figures falsely assert ownership through purchase, despite no legitimate sales of Parks and Gardens land having occurred,''Because if you have sold it, the previous directors will know about it, luckily about five of them are alive and I have consulted them to that effect, the story remains the same.'Source: Ghana News Agency