OccupyGhana To Haunt Lands Commission For Info On Returned State Lands
OccupyGhana has communicated its intentions to send a daily reminder to the Lands Commission about its request for information about state lands relinquished to individuals.
This will continue until the 14 days ultimatum by the Right to Information Commission (RTIC) elapses, it said in a letter on March 9, 2023 to the Ag Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission.
On March 2, following the Lands Commission’s failure to grant an RTI request by the group demanding details on public lands released to individuals, the RTIC ruled that the request should be granted within 14 days.
It also fined the Lands Commission GH¢100,000 for defaulting.
Eight days after the ruling, the group said it was yet to hear from the Commission.
“In our 2 March 2023 letter, we also brought the ruling to your attention and inquired when we may receive the information. We asked that if the information was in hardcopy, you let us know the total cost of it so that we may pay for and collect it.
“We also asked that if it is in softcopy, you let us know when, and to whom, we may submit a hard drive on which you will install the information. We have not heard from you on these requests.”
It has therefore opted to send daily reminders to the Lands Commission through letters until the duration expires.
At the end of the 14 days, it said it will “take all steps available to us under the law to ensure that you comply with the RTIC’s orders.”
OccupyGhana filed the request in June last year after an alleged will of late and former Chief Executive Officer Of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie popularly known as Sir John, apportioned some state lands including parts of the Achimota Forest lands to his relatives.
The will was contested by the government.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, later disclosed that parts of the Achimota Forest Lands had rather been returned to their original owners.
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
