King Ayi Tunnmaa II, Founder and President of the Ga Dangme Lands Administration (GDLA), has announced a comprehensive initiative by the Ga State to renew all expired land leases within its jurisdiction.
The move, he said, formed part of efforts to restore rightful ownership and ensure that the Ga people benefited from their ancestral lands, many of which have been leased for decades to government institutions and private entities across the capital.
King Tunnmaa explained that most of the lands were leased for periods ranging between 50 and 90 years, many of which have now elapsed, stressing that Ga lands were leased, not sold, and therefore, must revert to their traditional custodians upon the expiration of the lease terms.
He cautioned against the growing activities of Landlords’ Associations, describing them as misleading, stating that “No one can call himself a landlord on Ga land. In the Greater Accra Region, we have property owners, not landowners,” he emphasised.
The GDLA President drew parallels with an ongoing land regularisation exercise in the Ashanti Region under the direction of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, which similarly sought to safeguard traditional land rights.
He said the GDLA would collaborate with all relevant authorities and stakeholders to ensure that the lease renewal and re-acquisition process was conducted lawfully, transparently, and in a manner that protects both current occupants and the Ga State’s interests.
King Tunnmaa urged all individuals and institutions occupying Ga State land to comply with the renewal process when it begins to secure valid documentation and safeguard the interests of future generations.
