Lands Commission urges public to conduct due diligence before buying land

The Lands Commission has urged the public to conduct thorough due diligence, including engaging the services of an independent land surveyor and conducting an official search at the Commission, before purchasing land to avoid ownership disputes and other complications.

Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Wednesday November 4, Upper East Regional Lands Officer, Surv. Robert Hackman said prospective land buyers must establish the actual ownership, location and legal status of a parcel of land before committing to a purchase.

He advised buyers to engage independent surveyors to verify the exact location and boundaries of the land and obtain a site plan before proceeding to conduct an official search at the Lands Commission to establish its ownership status.

“If you want to buy land, get an independent surveyor to have the true position of the land stated on paper, then conduct an official search at the Lands Commission to ascertain who the landowner is, whether it is state land, family land or skin land,” he advised.

Surv. Hackman further urged prospective buyers to undertake additional independent checks to verify information provided by sellers, stressing that they should not allow pressure or urgency to influence their decisions.

He cautioned the public against rushing into land transactions, insisting that adequate investigations must be conducted before any purchase is finalised.

The Regional Lands Officer also appealed to landholding groups, including traditional authorities, families and state institutions, to bring their lands to the attention of the Commission for proper documentation and registration.

He disclosed that the Commission had commenced a public sensitisation exercise to educate residents and bridge existing information gaps on land acquisition, documentation and registration processes.

For his part, the Head of the Public and Vested Land Management Division, Surv. Mohammed Abubakar underscored the importance of conducting official searches at the Commission to prevent multiple sales of the same parcel of land and other ownership disputes.

He explained that the land registration process involves submitting a cadastral plan obtained from the Survey and Mapping Division, preparing an indenture through a qualified legal practitioner or land expert, and subsequently submitting the necessary documents for registration.

Meanwhile, an officer at the Lands Valuation Division, Denis Anovunga, has encouraged individuals who have acquired land and commenced the registration process to complete all the necessary procedures to secure their ownership interests.

He cautioned against relying solely on site plans kept at home, explaining that a site plan, on its own, does not confer legal title to land.

Anovunga therefore urged landowners to proceed with the necessary documentation and registration at the Lands Commission to strengthen their claims to ownership and minimise the risk of future disputes.

Mike 105.3 FM I Navrongo | David Adapuna