Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah is the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has announced that Cabinet has approved a comprehensive review of all public lands sold by the state as part of efforts to curb abuse and protect government properties.
According to the minister, while addressing the Vice President of Ghana, Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, during a working visit to the ministry on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, the decision was prompted by concerns that several public lands acquired by the government for specific purposes.
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This, he said, includes agriculture and other development projects, which were either left unused or allegedly mismanaged by officials entrusted with their protection.
“One of the things we all heard about was that public lands that government had taken for specific purposes, that now belongs to government, some of them for agricultural purposes, some of them for different purposes, were not used, and have become government property,” he said.
Emmanuel Buah noted that individuals tasked with safeguarding these lands had, in some instances, allegedly abused their authority, prompting firm intervention from the government.
“Somehow, the people who have been given the charge to protect these lands were somehow abusing it. And so, His Excellency the President vowed to make sure that we get it right,” he stated.
He also disclosed that a special team, led by his deputy minister, was constituted to examine the situation, culminating in Cabinet’s approval of measures to address the issue comprehensively.
“I’m happy to tell you that we constituted a team, led by my able deputy, and we got Cabinet approval to address that in the long term. By the time we finish, no government official will have it in their mind to take public land,” the minister assured.
Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, also the Member of Parliament for Ellembelle, further stated that Cabinet has approved recommendations for all public lands sold to undergo a thorough review to determine whether due processes were followed and value for money obtained.
“Cabinet has approved our recommendation that all public lands that have been sold are going under review to make sure there’s value for money and process audit was done,” he disclosed.
He added that any transactions that did not complete the required processes would be nullified.
“Those that didn’t finish the process are automatically cancelled and so we are going on to make sure that we implement to the letter the Cabinet recommendation to give confidence to the people of Ghana that we are going to protect public lands,” Buah said.
Warning against future infractions, the lands minister stressed that officials found culpable would be publicly exposed.
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“We will publish your name in every newspaper,” he cautioned.
The move, he said, forms part of broader efforts by the government to restore public confidence in the management of state lands and ensure accountability in the use of public resources.
MAG/AE
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Source:
www.ghanaweb.com
