Former Director of the Ghana School of Law, Kwaku Ansa-Asare, has raised serious concerns about what he describes as widespread malpractice and corruption within the Lands Commission, warning that such acts are hurting many Ghanaians.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Ansa-Asare said the ongoing case involving Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, should serve as a wake-up call for the nation to confront deep-seated problems in the land administration system.
According to him, many Ghanaians have fallen victim to fraudulent activities at the Commission, where officials allegedly falsify documents and reassign registered properties to other individuals.
“The Lands Commission is hurting many Ghanaians. Someone will register their property, but land officials can falsify documents and give it to somebody else,” he lamented.
He explained that such malpractice complicates property verification processes, often leaving legitimate owners at risk of losing their land.
“You may go to cross-check documents, and the landed property may not even be in the person’s name. When that happens, the police cannot work with it,” he added.
Dr. Ansa-Asare noted that the verification exercises being conducted in some high-profile cases, including that of Wontumi, are part of efforts to confirm rightful ownership but insisted that the broader issue is systemic.
“This situation is not an isolated case. There are a lot of wrong things going on at the Lands Commission. If you don’t have a lawyer or you are not careful, someone else will take your property as theirs,” he warned.
Touching on Wontumi’s legal troubles, Dr. Ansa-Asare said while the charges against him appear “excessive,” it remains unclear whether his case stems directly from any of these land registration issues.
He urged the Lands Commission to clean up its operations and restore public confidence, stressing that integrity in land administration is essential for justice and national development.
Source: Gertrude Otchere
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