The Lands Commission is to set to embark on a demolition exercise to reclaim encroached government lands in parts of the capital, Accra.

This comes after the Commission received a number of reports with great contestation, of encroachments on state lands within Amrahia, Mpehuasem and Nungua (Borteyman) by unknown armed men.

The illegality started during the festive season in December 2022 and continues to occur.

The Commission with the assistance of the Ghana Police Service will officially start the exercise today, Tuesday, January 17, 2023, to recover and protect the sites and other state-acquired areas in accordance with section 236 of the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036).

The parcels under threat are parts of Government acquisitions with compensations paid and include:

1. State Lands (Kweiman-Amrahia – Site for Modern Diary Farm) Instrument, 1970 (E.I.47) with an approximate area of 1,381.995 acres.

2. State Lands – (Accra-Mpehuasem – Site for Accra Training College) Instrument, 2009 (E. I. 16) with an approximate area of 111.25 acres.

3. State Lands – (Accra-Nungua – Site for Livestock Farm) Instrument, 1940 (Certificate of Title 214/40) with an approximate area of 2,570.05 acres.

“In all the acquisitions above, on the goodwill of Government, some portions of the sites have been released to the pre-acquisition owners.”

“Following a reconnaissance inspection of sites in Borteyman, Amahria and Mphehuasem, the joint team of Lands Administrators and Police Officers agreed on the urgency of a more extensive exercise to recover and protect all the encroached portions including demolishing of unauthorized structures”, the Lands Commission said in a statement issued and signed by its Executive Secretary, James E. K. Dadson.

According to the Commission, it expects the public to offer maximum support as it undertakes this mandate.

The Government of Ghana, through the Lands Commission, administers all state–acquired and vested lands in the country.