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Atik Mohammed has commended the government's effort to digitize land administration in Ghana.

The Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has underscored an initiative by the government to formalize all sectors of the Ghanaian economy to stimulate economic growth.

Delivering a speech at a national symposium organized by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in collaboration with other land use administrators in Accra on Wednesday, 23rd June, 2021, Dr Bawumia emphasized the key role of digitization in the implementation of the new Land Act to ensure sanity and security in land administration.

“The importance of an effective and efficient Land Sector in Ghana cannot be overemphasized. Every economic activity undertaken by man has a relation to land, and therefore, land remains pivotal to National Development.

“It is worth noting that successive Governments have tried resolving the challenges in our Land Administration system, but these efforts have often come with various complications, and inefficient deployment of resources. Governments after governments, bank loans after bank loans, our fundamental problems in land administration persist, seemingly unsolvable, and citizens’ complaints get louder and louder.

“To address these critical challenges in the land sector and to optimize the contribution of land to the socio-economic development of Ghana, the Government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is committed to change through the application of technology.

“Ghana can only make the much-needed strides in development when technology becomes the driver for all sectors of the economy.

“Therefore, as part of the digitization agenda of the Government, I have established in my office a Liaison Unit which is fervently working to assist the Lands Commission and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in expediting the digitization of its processes," the Veep said.

Speaking on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Atik Mohammed was excited that, ''at least, there's this effort to digitize our land administration. It's something that is very good. So, when we add the new Lands Act 1036 to it, we will go a long way because now, someone who sells lands would now realize that double grant is a serious offence and you can be jailed if found culpable''.

He called on the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to "partner with the media to broadcast it, simplify the Act for everyone's understanding, particularly the relevant provision dealing with the problem we're discussing now, so that no Chief will have an excuse to say he has no idea about it".

Atik Mohammed called for the prosecution of any Chief or person who engages in double land grant or land fraud believing it will help deter others from replicating such behaviour.

"We should annouce it and make all the Chiefs understand that if you do a double sale of land, you can be in jail," he stated emphatically.