Land Acquisition In Kumasi - A New Light

Late 2011, a ‘gargantuan’ crime hit the Asantehene’s Lands Secretariat. It was reported that the office was bridled with bribery and corruption. The case caused the then Liaison Officer’s job. Several officers also lost their job, as a result. For more than a month, the Asantehene’s Lands Office remained closed.

In or around November 2011, when the office was opened to the public a new administration had be instituted, reforms had taken place and land acquisition and registration processes was to be simplified.

Before January 2012, a land owner wishing to register his land was only required to present allocation note and site plans to the Asantehene’s Lands Secretariat for processing. The Secretariat then enquired from the Lands Commission whether the plot was free and could be registered in the current allottee’s name. This attracted a small fee. When a favourable response was received, the land owner had to pay drink money, and would Asantehene endorsed the allocation note and it was then released to the Lands Commission to prepare the lease document for execution by the proposed lessee, the caretaker chief, Asantehene. The lease document had to be sent from the Lands Commission to the Asantehene’s Lands Secretariat for the execution to take place. Then the document would be returned to the Lands Commission for the transactions to be recorded finally.  Experts said the process involved over hundred steps in addition to the cost.

This process existed up to December 2011. Starting January 2012, to register land in Kumasi one must first obtain a search report on the land from the Lands Commission. The search report is to show that the land can be registered and that it has not been registered in anybody’s name. You must add the search report to your allocation note, Cadastre plan and five passport size photograph and present them to the Asantehene’s Lands Secretariat at the Manhyia Palace. The Secretariat would check the validity of your submitted documents. Drink money (1/3 of land valued would be assessed. This and other fees and charges must be paid. The Lease or indenture would be prepared for execution. After execution, the document is sent to the Lands Commission for final registration.

The process of stool land acquisition and registration may be reduced into seven simple steps.

 1.       Negotiate and pay for land,

2.       Secure allocation note and cadastre (site) plans,

3.       Conduct a search at the Lands Commission over the Land,

4.       Submit the allocation note, cadastre (site) plans and five (5) passport pictures to the Asantehene’s Lands Office,

5.       Pay Drink Money & other fees & charges

6.       Lease document is prepared and executed

7.       Executed document is released to Lands Commission for plotting and registration registration.

In my opinion, this was by far the simplest process ever drawn up for land acquisition and registration in Kumasi. However, there still remains some unloosed knots. I, therefore, attempt a critique of the new process in place. To do the best your views, questions and contributions will count. What are the areas you wish that I discuss?