Accra: President John Dramani Mahama has lifted the ban on transactions on state lands. President Mahama made the announcement on Tuesday, when he inaugurated the 26-Member Governing Board of the National Lands Commission, under the Chairmanship of Dr Wordsworth Odame Larbi at the Presidency in Accra.

According to Ghana News Agency, the President stated that public lands intended for the benefit of all Ghanaians had been illegally sold, re-zoned, or encroached upon with limited accountability or consequences. He highlighted that the misuse of state lands was not driven by ordinary citizens but by influential individuals who viewed public office as a personal entitlement rather than a trust.

President Mahama expressed concern that prime government lands, ecological buffer zones, school land reserves, forest enclaves, Ramsar sites, and even lagoons had been appropriated by those expected to protect them. He emphasized that this misuse must end with the work of the new commission. As part of this reform agenda, the government had temporarily banned all state land transactions to review existing processes thoroughly.

He further explained that the review had provided valuable insights into the weaknesses of the current system and highlighted the urgent need for reforms. With the inauguration of the new commission and the implementation of robust accountability measures, the President announced the lifting of the ban on land transactions. He stressed that future transactions must comply with transparent processes, data verification, and oversight mechanisms.

President Mahama reiterated that lifting the ban should not mark a return to previous practices but rather the beginning of a disciplined era in land management. He outlined a reform agenda based on four pillars: restoring public confidence in land administration through transparency, reversing illegal land transactions and protecting public assets, digitizing and modernizing land services for efficiency, and harmonizing customary and statutory land systems for equity and coherence.

Dr Wordsworth Odame Larbi, the Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Lands Commission, expressed gratitude on behalf of his colleagues to the President for the opportunity to serve the nation.