The Kumbungu Traditional Area says it is ready for the establishment of a Customary Land Secretariat (CLS) in order to ensure proper record-keeping on land transactions.
The Paramount Chief of the Kumbungu Traditional Area, Nyaaba Kumbunaa, Alhaji Iddrissu Abu Yiri II, who is also a member of the National Project Steering Committee of the second phase of the Land Administration Project (LAP 2), said establishment of the CLS would not only avoid multiple sales of the same piece of land, but also stop conflicts about land as well as reduce poverty.
Nyaaba Kumbungu, Alhaji Iddrissu Abu Yiri II expressed optimism that chiefs and elders of the area will support implementing agencies of the project to carry out their activities effectively.
The Acting Northern Regional Stool Lands Officer of the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands (OASL), Franklin Oppong-Obiri, said the establishment of CLS under LAP 2 was demand-driven. He said the Project supports traditional authorities and communities on their own request for the establishment of the CLSs and the demarcation of boundaries, so that it can be owned by the local people to facilitate development at the local level.
He said the importance of the CLS and the Customary Boundary Demarcation (CBD) could not be over-emphasised as these would ensure proper documentation of land transactions, eliminate conflicts between one traditional area and another, and improve security of tenure as well as ensure registration of lands on lease-hold.
Mr. Oppong-Obiri made the observations in Kumbungu in the Northern Region as efforts to sensitise and educate the local people, heads of decentralised departments, Assembly Members, and Queen Mothers on the importance of CLS, CBD and the mandate of OASL under LAP 2.
He therefore called on the chiefs and people to embrace the concept, in order to have sanity in land issues and also partner the government in its development agenda by alleviating poverty and ensuring social stability in the nation.
On the expectation of LAP 2, the northern Regional Communication and Public Outreach Officer, Mr. Saaka Ahmed Mustapha, said LAP 2 aims at deepening the gains made under LAP 1 which witnessed laying of the foundation by reviewing the statues on land.
He said LAP 2 seeks to create an enabling environment for the Land Sector Agencies (LSA) to be more responsive to clients, cutting down the cost and time of business to facilitate the objective of an efficient and transparent service delivery.
The first phase of the reforms under LAP-1 — implemented from 2003 to 2010 — laid the foundation by reviewing the statutes on Land, carrying out institutional reforms, and undertaking pilots in a number of initiatives such as customary boundary demarcation, establishment of land courts, and systematic title registration among others.
This Second Phase (LAP-2), aims consolidate the gains made under Phase-1 by deepening the reforms, enabling the land sector agencies to be more responsive clients, cutting down the cost and time of doing business, and providing an enabling environment to facilitate the objective of an efficient and transparent service delivery.
By Konrad Kodjo Djaisi
