Sempe Stool inaugurates Customary Land Secretariat to curb disputes
Story by: Regina Bless
The Sempe Stool in Accra has inaugurated a new Customary Land Secretariat to strengthen land documentation, reduce ownership and boundary disputes, and promote transparent and accountable customary land administration.
The facility, inaugurated on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, is expected to serve as a central repository for land records within the Sempe traditional area, providing landowners, investors and members of the public with reliable information on land interests and transactions.
The ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Accra, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, traditional rulers, queen mothers, priests and priestesses, officials from the Lands Commission and the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands, among other dignitaries.
Addressing the gathering, the Ga Mantse, His Royal Majesty King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, urged other traditional areas, including Abola, Otublohum, Akamaje and Gbese, to establish similar secretariats to make land documentation and registration more accessible.
He said the initiative demonstrated the importance of collaboration between traditional authorities, the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands and the Lands Commission in improving customary land administration.
The Ga Mantse stressed the need for traditional authorities and landowners to comply with the laws and regulations governing land administration, noting that proper documentation and registration were increasingly important in preventing disputes.
The Administrator of Stool Lands, Dr. Gad Asorwoe Akwensivie, clarified that the establishment of the secretariat was not intended to take land away from existing owners or occupants. Rather, he said, it would help document and preserve land information for present and future generations.
According to him, the secretariat would document land rights, record transactions and provide accurate information to landowners, prospective investors and the general public.
He added that the facility would enhance tenure security, support orderly land-use planning and facilitate alternative dispute resolution, helping to reduce land-related litigation.
Dr. Akwensivie urged staff of the secretariat and members of its Land Management Committee to uphold integrity, professionalism and accountability, stressing that public confidence would depend on how effectively the facility was managed.
He also encouraged residents and landowners in areas including Lartebiokorshie, Mamprobi, Mpoase, Kwashieman, Odorkor, Ablekuma, Anyaa and Sakaman to patronise the secretariat, properly document their land interests and support its operations.
He described effective customary land administration as a shared responsibility essential to protecting land rights and promoting sustainable development within the Ga State.