We at Ghanamindset have a policy of educating the Ghanaian to come out of ignorance and be part of the day to day running of our country. Many of our people do not know what government is all about even though we have Extra Parliamentary institutions like the NCCE and the Human Rights Commission to educate our people, the farthest they ever go is Accra.  To talk of anything Ghana, one will be refering to Accra so woe betides those in the country side or the over 60% of the rural population. What does the rural  land owners know about the land they occupy  in terms of tenure or  how about those who farm on land that does not belong to them   what right in terms of  access  and usage as they continue to occupy those lands for the duration of their farming exploits? They know nothing about how  government  protects them in terms of laid out laws as required in a democratic nation like ours.

With this in mind the Ghanaian politician capitalises on the ignorance  prevailing in our system so  when they get into power to govern,they lord it upon us. Instead of them seeing themselves as a call to serve,in Ghana, it is rather we the electorate, the power brokers who end up serving them. What stops us  as the fore bearers of freedom on the continent of Africa from asserting ourselves by demanding  pertinent answers from those in power make me wonder. As for the whys, except one decides not to keep repeating, in everything Ghana, there is a “why” boldly and clearly labelled on it.

In this exposure, we aim at addressing one important issue confronting the average Ghanaian. What I mean by the  average Ghanaian is  everybody born in the land of Ghana and would require the use of land either to build a house,start a business, to farm or for whatever purpose they will require the use of land. How feasible will it be? We learn always of a parcel of land being sold to two to three persons at the sametime and in cases, people who have bought a parcel of land and had erected a building  or a structure on it would be forced to pull them down because  somebody had staked   claim that the land belongs to them. We hear of cases where land disputes have ended in bloodshed but in the end, getting to the bottom of the issue,which is not the Ghanaian way, you realise that these land hawks, who have protection from the powers that be in high places or echelons,would go unpunished. These are issues that need to be addressed by us all.

We decided to search on the internet if Ghana had any Laws on land and it is sad. As  I searched, the closest I came was Dr. Kwame Asumadu’s (MAICD), Director of Asumadu and Associates Publication on  Reform of Ghana Land Tenure  System,(11/5/2003) and if we  call ourselves an independent democratic nation where we have had well over 140 to 275 parliamentarians in  our law making chambers since 1992 and they cannot enact any laws to protect a natioinal asset like land,then it is better to say we have failed as a nation. Where then is our pride as a nation? Can we continue to pretend all is well and that this generation can do without any land tenure let alone reforms.

Nigerians have always been ahead of us when it comes to protecting  valuable and important national assets. In 1978 the military in that country issued a decree to regulate land tenure but come to Ghana, we have had well learned personalities but nobody cares about  how natural resource like land should be regulated.  Is it a matter of stupidity or lack of concern that we always relegate important issues to the background? Otherwise how on earth could foreigners hold us to ransom by  seizing priceless and worthy land and carry out unathorised mining? How about the destruction of the environment  and pollution of our rivers? All we do as a nation is to mount platforms and INSULT innocent and decent hardworking people who mind their business by carrying out decent businesses.

Since 1957, we have had all the following governments: Kwame Nrumah’s CPP parliament dating back from 1952 under the transational arrangement until from 1957 to 1966. What did Kwame Nkrumah do with land?  His communist ideology transferred all land to the state with the exception of the peasant farming lands in the rural areas. Even then, the Workers Brigade owned the lands in the towns. Ankrah-Afrifa,1966-69 did not  do much to the damage done under Kwame Nkrumah, instead, the military too took greater part of the state lands and appropraited to themselves and their cronies.

Dr Busiah was the first leader to realise the danger of Lebanese,Egyptians,Nigerians and other entities from abroad controlling almost everything Ghana. Almost all the Diamond mining areas of our land were under the control of foreigners who built houses and rented them to Ghanaians. The Aliens Compliance Order of 1969 went in some ways to transfer land ownership to the traditional rulers and their communities. However, Kutu Acheampong’s NRC/SMC1  was not interested in Ghana making any headway in development so his government of 1972 to 1978 failed miserably to intiate any laws or degrees to protect land ownership. Under him, it was free for the rich and it became  a field day for corruption and thus many unscrupulous people “Scramble for land” at no cost. Could we fault the SMC2? What could they do from July 1978 until their  demise in June 1979?

What did Rawlings do? How many decrees  did he find expedient to issue to regulate this valuable and all important national asset? We expected that with his so called revolution to change Ghanians from the “zombies” he felt we were at the inception of his brutality,he and his band of  irresponsible junior officers could have addressed the situation but the status quo was followed. Land continued to be the preserve of the rich and the vulnurable,the  very people that the insurrection of 1979/1981 was to protect became the loser.

We in Ghana have been rendered visionless by the brutality of the so called Revolution of  1979/81 to 2000. It was the period we lost count of common sense and all we all did was to dance to the music of one actor, Flt. Lt .J.J. Rawlings.The most gulible people you can ever have on plant earth are Ghanaians. Almost about 80% of our national set-up are jokers and all you need give them is the stage or platform, and they will perform theartics you may need to stop them to have any breath. Fancy Ghanaians calling Rawlings: Junior Jesus when he was destroying hard earned businesses built on Ghanaian lands?

As expected, John Agyekum Kufuor had  eight years as the president of Ghana from the New Patriotic Party, though under him many Acts of Parliament were enacted, he too failed to do anything about land tenure in Ghana. As a market oriented government, land should have played an important role  to his government but the same Ghanaian syndrome of lack of vision did not warrant anything spectacular. Instead we read  stories of land having been appropriated to the party functionaries at no cost at all and the believe was that the NDC were right and were going to retrieve all those lands, we are yet to see anything concrete being done.

What shall we say about Atta Mills -Mahama administration? We never saw  any law passed despite the fact that it was part of the NDC manifesto to retrieve so called government lands. Within short space of time in government,their land acquisition and control far outway any other government in our nations history.

The reason all these things continue to go unchecked is the fact we do not have any institutions in Ghana that are credible and independent to take anybody on. What we have is a nation full of sychophants and propadanists who do not think of anybody else but themselves and their cronies. As Ghana is being paralysed by the wanton destruction of  our  land all some of us can do is just  to write and think somebody will care to take notice. One day we  shall be suprised to wake to learn that, the LAND called Ghana has been sold and the real owners from China or Cuba or Russia have come with the Title deed and would like all of us to look for a new nation or become their slaves.

Proverbs 13: 22  States as follows : ” A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children, but a sinners wealth is stored up for the righteous.