The Member of Parliament for Subin in the Ashanti Region, Kofi Obiri Yeboah, has criticised President John Dramani Mahama’s directive halting the sale, lease, and processing of all state and public lands, describing it as a “blanket ban” and a breach of Ghana’s land laws.
According to the lawmaker, the directive, which took effect in January 2025, has led to revenue losses exceeding GHS 2 billion and could trigger further financial setbacks, given that the Lands Commission is Ghana’s second-highest contributor of non-tax revenue to the Consolidated Fund after the Ghana Revenue Authority.
“This single letter has caused the nation to lose more than two billion Ghana cedis. And you expect us to remain silent? We are not in politics to enrich ourselves, but to protect the interests of the ordinary Ghanaian. Without these funds, we cannot build roads, hospitals, or schools,” he said in an interview with NR News.
Obiri Yeboah made the comments following a statement he delivered on the floor of Parliament on Monday, July 14, 2025, regarding President Mahama’s January 10 letter instructing the Lands Commission to immediately halt all ongoing and pending transactions involving the sale or lease of state and public lands.
The directive was issued to allow for a comprehensive review of the framework governing the management of public lands.
However, the Subin MP argues that the decision contravenes Section 236 of the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), which upholds the constitutional right of every Ghanaian to acquire, use, and dispose of property individually or jointly.
“Although the president’s decision may aim to safeguard public lands for the benefit of Ghanaians and generations yet unborn, this directive may also affect individuals and corporate entities with legitimate interests in these lands,” he stated.
He cited a case in point: a person who lawfully acquired land in 1975 under a 99-year lease is now unable to sell, mortgage, or transfer that property—even to secure a bank loan for business expansion because of the current embargo.
“It is unfair to prevent people from selling land they have lawfully acquired simply because of an embargo imposed by the President. This is not only a breach of the law, but it also infringes on people’s constitutional rights,” Obiri Yeboah added.
Responding to the concerns raised, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Yussif Sulemana, assured Parliament that the committee tasked by the President to review the public lands framework would submit its final report by the second week of August.
He hinted that the embargo may be lifted soon thereafter.
While welcoming the assurance, the Subin MP warned that he would not hesitate to take further action if the ban is not lifted by the stated deadline.
“If we’ve waited almost seven months, we can endure three more weeks. But if the ban is not lifted by August 2nd, you will definitely hear from me again,” he declared.
